Essay sample on effects of texting

Essay sample on effects of texting Contemporary students are extremely dependent on the Internet and their smartphones. They got used to being in touch with their peers and family and use text messaging both at home and school. Although one cannot deny that elaborate communication tools are extremely useful, an increasing number of researchers, educators, and parents raise concerns about the effects of excessive text messaging on teenagers. More specifically, there have been heated debates as to the adverse impact of texting on students’ literacy skills. This text messaging affecting literacy research paper aims to explore these concerns in detail and, based on the reliable academic literature, determine whether text messaging is indeed detrimental for teenagers’ writing and communication skills. Texting and Literacy Research: Contradicting Results There have been many studies attempting to explore the effects of text messaging on students literacy. Some critics argue that excessive use of smartphones adversely affects the way children think, read, and write. They note that the more students use this type of communication, the less they are able to see the difference between informal and formal English (Myhra, 2010). Among the most common mistakes made by students are missing words, misspelling, and missing punctuation, mainly because texting does not require users to pay attention to all these aspects. The problem is that students use texting for informal communication, where academic grammar is not generally required. They use cyber slang, such as “LOL,” “BFF,” or “WTF” to express their emotions, which is fine for chatting with friends but is unacceptable for higher education or business (Myhra, 2010). Educators are concerned that if students learn to use this simplified language in the middle-school, they may hav e difficulty using correct, formal language when they grow up (Tomaszewski, 2011). To summarize, negative effects of text messaging have been well-documented during the past decade. However, not all researchers agree that texting is detrimental to children’s writing skills and spelling. For example, the recent study by Van Dijk et al. (2016) aimed to determine how textese affect students’ cognitive abilities and executive functions. The main objective pursued by authors was to answer the question “does text messaging affect writing skills?” Scholars used a sample of 55 teenagers who regularly used text messaging. Results revealed that textese improve both children’s abilities in written language and their spoken language. In this way, the study showed that contrary to the widespread opinion, texting does not lead to language deterioration (Van Dijk et al., 2016). These findings were supported by Wood, Kemp, and Waldron (2014) who noted that texting slang does not seem to impact teenagers’ literacy negatively. Baggott (2006) argued that in the contemporary digital age, the very concept of literacy should be viewed differently. As explained by the author, today’s literacy is not only about writing and reading skills but also about the ability to interpret information, knowing how to use multimedia, and being able to select the relevant data from the wide array of sources. Therefore, if to look at literacy from this perspective, one may confidently note that texting allows students to gain all these vital skills. More importantly, Baggott (2006) highlighted that the effects of text messaging on students’ literacy are exaggerated. In fact, they know perfectly well when they can use “IMHO” and when they should use more sophisticated, formal language. Singh, Gupta, and Tuteja (2015) took a middle-ground position and argued that texting may affect students’ literacy both positively and negatively. On the one hand, students who use text messaging communicate more and gain new knowledge and information, which makes them generally literate. On the other hand, the use of short words may make them lazy and less attentive to grammar and spelling (Singh et al., 2015). Verheijen (2013) added that existing studies do not allow drawing definite conclusions as to the effects of texting. According to this author, differences in sample sizes, population, and methodology mean that comparing the findings of the empirical research is impossible. Other Effects of Text Messaging in the Classroom As shown in the previous paragraphs, there is no unanimity regarding the effects of text messaging to students in relation to literacy skills. However, text messaging is a social phenomenon that affects not only writing and reading but also teenagers’ communication skills. Effects of text messaging on communication skills have been widely researched nowadays, and the prevailing view is that texting is detrimental to genuine face-to-face communication. Villines (2012) explained that children get used to instant messaging and anonymity brought by popular messengers, so they may feel uncomfortable interacting with people in real life. In other words, they forget that face-to-face communication requires considerable efforts, patience, and listening skills. As a result, one may see the negative effects of texting in the classroom, where children are expected to actively interact in-person. As noted by Villines (2012), students may get irritated by slow-paced communication and lose a cha nce to build meaningful relationships with peers and teachers. To conclude there are both negative and positive effects of texting on literacy, so further research is needed to address this controversy. On the one hand, it is believed that texting deprives students of the opportunity to learn the formal language and makes them less attentive to grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style. On the other hand, the use of technologies may positively affect teenagers’ digital literacy skills, which are vital for succeeding in the contemporary society. However, one thing is clear â€" texting adversely affects the way children communicate, so it is important to encourage them to spend more time on in-person interaction.