Luv 2 Txt | Teen Ink

Luv 2 Txt MAG

January 29, 2009
By Christina Costello BRONZE, Hopedale, Massachusetts
Christina Costello BRONZE, Hopedale, Massachusetts
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

You need to send a quick text to your mom to tell her soccer practice is canceled. In an effort not to get caught, you reach ever so slowly, skillfully, and one-handedly into your backpack. Drawing your bright purple handheld lifeline from the front pocket, you are careful not to press any button that will reveal your mission to Mr. Boring, who is yapping away at the front of the room. With the phone in your lap, you try not to look down as you type: “sccer canceled! pick^ @2 thx <3.”

Sent. You slip it into you pocket, fearing you will not be able to discreetly get it back in your bag. But wait … your BFF Lucy’s hair looked utterly ridiculous when you passed her in the hall on your way to bio. It’s unthinkable to wait until lunch to tell her. Only a horrid friend would let her saunter around with a mortifying hairdo! So, you repeat the sneaky process of texting: “Fix ur hair, its sticking ^!!!!” Now, not only have you just missed two whole possibly important minutes of Mr. Boring’s lecture, but you have furthered the decline of your spelling and vocabulary.

Could you understand the title of this article? Anyone who has ever texted or used instant messaging can. Most teens love to text. What our English teachers, parents, and future employers would prefer us to say is “I love grammar,” which most of us don’t. There are times when we have to use proper grammar and times when we don’t. The problem is that the line between when to spell-check and proofread and when to just type and send is becoming blurred and almost invisible.

The way we type when we use virtual communication devices affects the way we spell – not just when we’re in a rush, but on school or job assignments too. Ever caught yourself writing u instead of you in an ­essay for school? What about tho instead of though? In a world where instant gratification is everything, we simply do not take the time to add the few extra letters. Although teens today will eventually become the ones who set the standards for spelling and grammar, our elders are calling the shots now, and they tend to look down on spelling and grammatical errors. This could easily affect one’s grades or job opportunities.

Notice it or not, the words we choose, or rather don’t choose, when we use informal communication have significance. Rarely in a text message will a teen use the extensive vocabulary preached by our educators. Seldom do we see the word exultant for happy, morose for sad, querulous for annoyed, or ecstatic for glad in a text. We must reawaken this vast glossary of obscure and unused words if we expect to succeed on exams like the SATs that affect our future.

So, go ahead, work your fingers to the bone texting, but before you hit send, think about what you have written. Consider the words you chose and the way you spelled them and maybe, just maybe, you will retype your message.



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This article has 306 comments.


on Dec. 23 2010 at 10:39 am
This is a really well written article. The only criticism, which really isn't criticism at all, is that you should expand on this, I want to hear more from you, you're a great writer. Keep up the good work

on Dec. 1 2010 at 6:29 pm
NeverFallTooHard PLATINUM, Hartford, Wisconsin
24 articles 5 photos 98 comments

Favorite Quote:
Reason is powerless in the expression of Love.~ Rumi
Realisim, in painting, is what one wants to see, not what they really see. ~ Janet Fish

I text raely, maybe using 50 a month. =D There was a law passed today about driving and texting being illegal. YESSS!!!

on Dec. 1 2010 at 10:18 am
AmandaPanda123 SILVER, Brookville, Pennsylvania
9 articles 0 photos 64 comments

Favorite Quote:
Memories are forever.

I would definitely rather get a text message saying " Hey what's up?" rather than one saying: "heyyyy wats up".

KKKKKKKK said...
on Nov. 9 2010 at 10:25 pm
i agree with willdebeest i hate when like people are texting like hey and they put Heyyyy

on Nov. 9 2010 at 10:10 am
Phantom_Girl GOLD, Ft. Carson, Colorado
14 articles 0 photos 279 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If it comes out of the lion's mouth...it will be on the test."
-Mr. Bala

I have to go with you on that one. I don't mind 2 replacing to, or 4 replacing for. But whn ppl srt tlkng wth no vowels, it srts 2 pss me off.

on Nov. 9 2010 at 10:08 am
Phantom_Girl GOLD, Ft. Carson, Colorado
14 articles 0 photos 279 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If it comes out of the lion's mouth...it will be on the test."
-Mr. Bala

While I disagree with the point of view, (I love to text, but I am in AP Language and Compositions and have excellent grammar and spelling. And as for obscure words, my favorite is uxorious) I think the article was very well-written and interesting. The detail and voice was intriguing and I loved the "I love grammar" quip. Placing my personal opinion of text talk aside (I see it as a modern-day shorthand), I give the article a 5/5.

on Oct. 18 2010 at 7:49 pm
willdebeest BRONZE, Oakland, California
2 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If your life's in control, you're not moving fast enough"
- Mario Andretti

I just find it a little irritating when people send ridiculous messages...for example, if you think something I said is great, I would prefer "that's great!" over "thts greattttt!!!!!" I'm not above a little abbreviation here and there, but I just feel that complete sentences or close to them are much easier to read. However, therein lies the interesting question...where do we draw the line?

on Oct. 18 2010 at 7:16 pm
Munchkinz_rule BRONZE, Longmont, Colorado
2 articles 3 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
I have no paticular tallents, i am only pationetly curiouse - albert Einstien
the more people i know the more i like my dog.
never regret anything/ one that once made you smile.
girls are like crows..... OoH SHINY!

I disagree with this agruement, but it is very well stated. I can't spell if my life depended on it, but that has been going on forever, not just when I got a phone. I think that there's a time and place for proper grammer and abbreviations.  It seems ironic  that most of the honnor's students, including me, are the ones defending the idea that texting doesn't have an effect on teens' grammer.

on Oct. 18 2010 at 3:38 pm
lightningscar- BRONZE, Stratford, Other
3 articles 0 photos 32 comments

Favorite Quote:
There are many causes for which I would die for, but none for which I would kill.
-Ghandi

Great article, I totally agree.

Blahblah said...
on Oct. 18 2010 at 3:01 pm
I think that people are okay to talk like this on the phone but they need to keep it out of schools.

on Oct. 18 2010 at 6:27 am
ValkyrieRising BRONZE, Cary, North Carolina
4 articles 0 photos 5 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Pirates could happen to anyone."

My mom has that exact same phone...

Anyway, I agree with your article. People abusing grammar is revolting in any setting!


LF282 said...
on Oct. 9 2010 at 10:22 am
LF282, Schenectady, New York
0 articles 0 photos 5 comments
I agree. And I think it's even worse when people typ lik dis on the computer, when they have an entire keyboard and spell check right infront of them.

Stela SILVER said...
on Sep. 28 2010 at 9:26 am
Stela SILVER, Dubai, Other
6 articles 0 photos 14 comments

Favorite Quote:
You\'re not your job. You\'re not how much money you have in the bank. You\'re not the car you drive. You\'re not the contents of your wallet. You\'re not your f***ing khakis. You\'re the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world. - Fight Club

Than...not then.

on Sep. 26 2010 at 6:35 pm
foreverever008 BRONZE, Portland, Oregon
1 article 0 photos 35 comments

Hey, that's not such a big deal.

 

I don't text, but I I.M. a lot, and always use text-language.  Yet I am top of my classes and have better grammar/spelling then 90% of the kids at my school.

 

Although it does bug me when people mix up things like "there/their/they're", "your/you're", and "it's/its".  Especially "it's/its."  I have seen many teachers get this wrong!!!

 


Stela SILVER said...
on Sep. 26 2010 at 12:51 pm
Stela SILVER, Dubai, Other
6 articles 0 photos 14 comments

Favorite Quote:
You\'re not your job. You\'re not how much money you have in the bank. You\'re not the car you drive. You\'re not the contents of your wallet. You\'re not your f***ing khakis. You\'re the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world. - Fight Club

Text language actually kind of annoys me. It makes the person look immature and stupid. To a certain level, it's okay to use it, but sometimes it just gets to be too much and it makes the person using it look ridiculous.

Dark_Angel25 said...
on Sep. 26 2010 at 3:59 am
Dark_Angel25, None, New York
0 articles 4 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
getting on the top is not hard but staying on it is!

Yeah but i m an o-level student who just got A in english but i continuosly text my friends and tend to balance both so it depends on many people

on Sep. 7 2010 at 4:32 pm
ellebelly SILVER, Keller, Texas
7 articles 2 photos 10 comments

Favorite Quote:
yesterday is history tomorrow is a mystery today is a gift that's why its called the present

hahaha yeahh oops i meant spelling;)

on Sep. 5 2010 at 12:00 am
vikesfan28 GOLD, Genoa, Nevada
14 articles 0 photos 28 comments

Favorite Quote:
I'm still a geek on the inside, that's the important thing.









-Wierd Al Yankovic

PLEASE tell me you meant to put speeling. That would just be too ironic...

on Sep. 4 2010 at 11:58 pm
vikesfan28 GOLD, Genoa, Nevada
14 articles 0 photos 28 comments

Favorite Quote:
I'm still a geek on the inside, that's the important thing.









-Wierd Al Yankovic

If someone wants to text their friend, let them. Heck, I spend about 15% of my day either texting or recieving a text. YET, I am still in Honors English and i use extensive vocabulary to a point. Furthermore, I do not, on any level, agree with your views on texting.

on Sep. 4 2010 at 11:13 am
IamtheshyStargirl PLATINUM, Lothlorien, Utah
44 articles 16 photos 2206 comments

Favorite Quote:
Boredom instigates extreme creativity.
~Amoniel

"Bowing gratefully to all of my subjects, 'thank you. Thank you. The pleasure is mine." Nah, I'm just kidding. We're all kings together.'"
~Thesilentraven

This is really good. I am personally very against texting, whatever, all of my friends tell me. Whatever exactly.