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 Mar. 4 2011 at 9:09 pm
IamtheshyStargirl PLATINUM, Lothlorien, Utah
44 articles 16 photos 2206 comments

Favorite Quote:
Boredom instigates extreme creativity. <br /> ~Amoniel<br /> <br /> "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.'" <br /> ~Thesilentraven

Hahahah, pretty cool :)

on Mar. 4 2011 at 8:58 pm
SeerKnowsBest SILVER, Pryor, Oklahoma
5 articles 0 photos 53 comments

Favorite Quote:
i have so many favourite quotes, but one that has stuck with me for years is &quot; to die would be an awfully big adventure&quot; -peter pan, Peter Pan, j. m. barrie

i know! me and a bunch of my friends tatooed bumblebees on our ankles with sharpies for a long time after we read that

on Mar. 4 2011 at 5:07 pm
IamtheshyStargirl PLATINUM, Lothlorien, Utah
44 articles 16 photos 2206 comments

Favorite Quote:
Boredom instigates extreme creativity. <br /> ~Amoniel<br /> <br /> "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.'" <br /> ~Thesilentraven

Yes, it's from the book, one of my favorites, along with Love, Stargirl.

on Mar. 3 2011 at 6:08 pm
SeerKnowsBest SILVER, Pryor, Oklahoma
5 articles 0 photos 53 comments

Favorite Quote:
i have so many favourite quotes, but one that has stuck with me for years is &quot; to die would be an awfully big adventure&quot; -peter pan, Peter Pan, j. m. barrie

you are very very welcome. did you get your username off of stargirl the book? or is it just a statement?

on Mar. 3 2011 at 4:38 pm
IamtheshyStargirl PLATINUM, Lothlorien, Utah
44 articles 16 photos 2206 comments

Favorite Quote:
Boredom instigates extreme creativity. <br /> ~Amoniel<br /> <br /> "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.'" <br /> ~Thesilentraven

Awww, thank you so much!

on Feb. 27 2011 at 2:38 pm
SeerKnowsBest SILVER, Pryor, Oklahoma
5 articles 0 photos 53 comments

Favorite Quote:
i have so many favourite quotes, but one that has stuck with me for years is &quot; to die would be an awfully big adventure&quot; -peter pan, Peter Pan, j. m. barrie

that was hilarious!!!!!!!!!!!sorry just the bloody irony of you having typos in that comment

on Feb. 27 2011 at 2:36 pm
SeerKnowsBest SILVER, Pryor, Oklahoma
5 articles 0 photos 53 comments

Favorite Quote:
i have so many favourite quotes, but one that has stuck with me for years is &quot; to die would be an awfully big adventure&quot; -peter pan, Peter Pan, j. m. barrie

i've read a lot of your comments and a few of your work, and i just wanted to say i think you're amazing.

Gwgideon GOLD said...
on Feb. 27 2011 at 12:03 pm
Gwgideon GOLD, Commerce Twp, Michigan
11 articles 0 photos 14 comments

While I think texting is overused, I don't think that the problem is scientifical. For example, a study has shown that texting may actually improve teen spelling.

 On that note, I think there is a problem. And that is just the huge obsession over it. What does it tell you about humanity when young adults would rather send messages using mispelled words than just talk to the actual person?

 


on Feb. 21 2011 at 12:23 pm
paleteenager PLATINUM, Fountain Hills, Arizona
39 articles 0 photos 38 comments
Not all people, however, text with "lingo". When I text, for example, I always spell out everything and use correct punctuation and grammar.

Amanda said...
on Feb. 5 2011 at 5:35 pm
Hey Amanda Panda It's Amanda Loyless! :)

on Feb. 5 2011 at 4:42 pm
I agree with some parts of this article. Not all people are swept up by the "texting language" though. I text all the time with my friends, and still have a reasonable grammar vocabulary. So, just because you text doesn't mean that you will automatically lose all sense of grammar and correct spelling. I still exceed in Language Arts, and I still text message. 

on Feb. 5 2011 at 3:58 pm
ErisRose DIAMOND, Ashburn, Virginia
50 articles 1 photo 81 comments

Favorite Quote:
Omnia vincit amor et nos cedamus amori- Love conquers all let us yield to love<br /> Sweat Dries, Blood Clots, Bones Heal, Suck it up and dance! <br /> If they give you ruled paper, write the other way

I do agree with some parts of this article. I love texting, and I do text very frequently, but I use proper grammar and complete sentences. I don't think that abbreviating a few words to save time is such a huge crime though. I feel that there is a growing problem with people using "text-talk" all the time instead of properly spelling words. I loved this story though. It was well-written and was funny. You should expand on this idea a little more. My favorite SAT type word is "ubiquitous"

on Jan. 14 2011 at 10:12 pm
alexandrexis BRONZE, Clemson, South Carolina
3 articles 1 photo 11 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;When you&#039;re taught to love everyone, to love your enemies, then what value does that place on love?&rdquo;<br /> - Marilyn Manson

Thanks for the thing about religion. I'm acception of people of other religions only because it's such a pervasive influence/does have some good points but mostly it just saddens me because it's so restrictive and it can really hurt people sometimes.

Haha sorry to go off on a tangent! As for the chat speak, hear, hear! But it really doesn't have much to do with texting. I'm sorry your friends use chat speak. Ugh. 


on Jan. 14 2011 at 10:07 pm
alexandrexis BRONZE, Clemson, South Carolina
3 articles 1 photo 11 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;When you&#039;re taught to love everyone, to love your enemies, then what value does that place on love?&rdquo;<br /> - Marilyn Manson

This is bad of me but I text people and have long conversations with them preferably over talking on the phone. This is because A: A lot of my friends' phones hang up on them or have bad signals and mine does a lot, too. B: I have a slight phobia of talking to people on the phone for the first few times. Especially if it's a guy I like xD I know I should be working to get over this but every time I try something happens to worsen it. Like I call at a bad time or there's an awkward silence where neither person knows what to say or they seem uninterested in talking or whatever. C: My mom bugs me all the freaking time and she'll really rudely interrupt me when I'm on the phone, and my general instinct is to yell at her, and then person on the  phone hears it.

Anyone else have the phone phobia? I hope I'm not alone. I used to date this guy who'd play his guitar while talking to me and I didn't really know if I should talk or listen. That really got to me too xD Ever happen to you? 


on Jan. 14 2011 at 10:03 pm
alexandrexis BRONZE, Clemson, South Carolina
3 articles 1 photo 11 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;When you&#039;re taught to love everyone, to love your enemies, then what value does that place on love?&rdquo;<br /> - Marilyn Manson

If you think it has such an effect, all you have to do is spell out really and talk. 

I'm sure you KNOW how they're spelled. Just stop being lazy and your grade will go up, pretty much. <3


on Jan. 14 2011 at 9:58 pm
alexandrexis BRONZE, Clemson, South Carolina
3 articles 1 photo 11 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;When you&#039;re taught to love everyone, to love your enemies, then what value does that place on love?&rdquo;<br /> - Marilyn Manson

This article is capitalizing on a sensationalist notion that texting using text speak will automatically ruin people's grammar and spelling skills. I don't use chat speak unless I will run out of characters or am in a BIG rush. Otherwise I text just as I am typing here. Some people I talk to use chat speak and I find it annoying but I'm not about to lecture them on it. And sure, it's bad to text in class, and many get away with it but some teachers will see and take your phone away. Also, it's the person's individual decision whether to glaze over and ignore what the teacher is saying or not. They can do that with our without texting. I never text during school anymore; I used to and got my phone taken twice last year. xD But when I did it was during the beginning of class or when a lecture wasn't going on. Anyway, sure some teens don't have good grammar; but their chat speak isn't why. They simply don't care about it. 

on Jan. 14 2011 at 2:40 pm
red-head BRONZE, Belmont, New York
1 article 0 photos 25 comments

Wow, Funny,

Everyone has complete sentences in their replys here. Just an thought.   


Chanchie GOLD said...
on Jan. 14 2011 at 6:02 am
Chanchie GOLD, Trivandrum, Other
17 articles 4 photos 26 comments

Favorite Quote:
A writer who writes without zest, without gusto, without fun, without love is only half a writer.<br /> -Ray Bradbury

This was great!! Loved it a lot! I do not usually write comments with proper grammer and correct spellings but this article is making me think twice ;)

Gigantron GOLD said...
on Dec. 23 2010 at 1:55 pm
Gigantron GOLD, Somewhere, Texas
11 articles 0 photos 36 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;There is a fundamental difference between religion, which is based on authority (imposed dogma, faith), [as opposed to] science, which is based on observation and reason. Science will win because it works.&quot;<br /> <br /> -Stephen Hawking

The only reason I do not text is because of most of my friends' lack of ability to type a coherent sentence. Seriously...reading these texts make me think that these people are utterly incurious and incapable of any thought more abstract than predicting who will win the superbowl. 

While I like to think that religion is a major deterrent when it comes to breeding a more..."intelligent" population, I can't help but wonder if texting has that much more of a detrimental effect. Perhaps, the English language will evolve to the point where "standard" English will be spelt and pronounced in AOL speak...with the rational thinkers drowning in a sea of "Lol's" and "noobs". 

It's not that I have a problem with texting as a whole, but I have problems with people who type in broken English so much that it gets to a point where I can't even understand them anymore. 

Grammar isn't a hard concept to master, but our dirt poor public educational system in the United States isn't doing anything to help this. 


on Dec. 23 2010 at 1:07 pm
Carlotta SILVER, Bronx, New York
7 articles 1 photo 5 comments

Favorite Quote:
The hardest thing to do in the world is care.<br /> <br /> A NOTE: I was recently checking over my stuff and realized I&#039;ve been proclaimed an &quot;avid fan of Twilight&quot; in one of my stories, &quot;Below&quot;.<br /> Basically, my friend put it in. &quot;Friend&quot;. I love her though.

I'm a huge texter, I really am.  And all my friends and parents and such tell me I'm addicted, and truthfully, I wouldn't deny it.  But I spell out every word, use proper punctuation and grammar, and have never used "u" "ur" or "tho".

I think some people generalize the texting problem, making it seem like it applies to all teens.

Just because I text all the time does not mean I'm stupid.  Or I'm failing in school, or I don't like to read or something.  I think we have to make the distinction between all teens.  We're all different, and people cannot group as together