ESSAY

New Communication Technologies

-Texting: Surprisingly Not Threatening the Foundations of Civilized Existence –

Academic Essay by Erin Leckie s2623986

New communication technologies, in particular ‘text messaging’ or SMS, are not creating an adverse affect on literacy skills of the general youth population. In contrast, the infatuation with new communication devises that utilise abbreviations of Standard English seems to be broadening aspects of everyday life in a positive manner. Education, employment, communication, self expression and language itself are all being challenged by the small, simple invention of the short message service.

SMS is just one of the many modes of communication now available and along with others such as Instant Messaging and E-mail, is very popular with the younger generation. Fast becoming known as ‘Screenagers’, young people have adapted to the technology by dicing up, reducing and abbreviating Standard English to fit in more gossip for their time and money. This has led to an explosion in claims that text messaging is eroding youngsters literacy skills, most assuming “Text messaging, with its little use of phonetic spelling and little or no punctuation seems to pose a threat to traditional conventions of writing” (17). Research shows these conclusions are unfounded.

A study of literacy skills between students who thought themselves to be regular ‘texters’ and those who didn’t, found there to be no significant difference between the two. On the downside, it appeared the regular ‘texters’ had a higher tendency to answer questions ‘sparingly or even minimally’ (17). With most media influences today lasting only 30 seconds, like Television or radio ads, it is more likely for youngsters to become reliant on short sentences, simple tenses and limited vocabulary than for texting to adversely impact on spelling. Venal Raval, a speech and language therapist, stated that findings in his research reflect children’s ability to ‘code switch’ or jump between modes of communication (12). ‘Code switching’ means that everyone has the ability to determine appropriateness, audience and purpose and therefore recognise when and when not to use ‘text talk’.

Claire Farrell (community educator) and her daughters run the program “Text like a Teen” at Hutt Valley High School. The classes show just how much text messaging is infiltrating the English language. The Prince of Wales states that “short term, fashionable” trends were threatening the “foundations of civilised existence.” And says “voguish preoccupation” with making subjects relevant (such as plans for text message classes as part of English Studies) was damaging the prospects of future generations (14). In comparison, Farrell believes that most teenagers have a good awareness of language and can decipher between texting and proper English (15).

In another area, experts are concerned that teens are becoming less employable because text messaging is lowering their abilities to communicate effectively. Gerrard Goggin, Australian Research Fellow at the University of Sydney and author of Mobile Phone Culture is skeptical about this assumption. “It seems to me that SMS offers a new genre of communication, so potentially it’s actually expanding our communication repertoire and our concept of literacy” he says (21). This doesn’t stop concerns from employers who are seeing job applications ending in SMS style, for example, “I hope 2 hear from U soon”. Whether these concerns are legitimate or not is debatable, as texting could soon become a skill needed for employment in the future as it has for one British company that is asking its staff to communicate by text messaging to bring down costs, “Staff at British Gas have been ordered to communicate with each other via text message to try to cut the time they spend on the phone” (7).

Along with being a potentially essential skill with the future becoming faster and more technologically advanced, the main factor is that when young people are using text messaging they are communicating. Communication is something every parent and teacher whishes to cultivate and it is important that children can communicate in a range of ways (20). Shortcuts such as r, u and b4 make text messages look like code, but in fact they are conversational writing (20).

Many parents are taking up texting to keep in touch with their teens so it isn’t surprising to hear that the fastest growing rate of text users is the adult community. A survey conducted by Cingular (the largest wireless company in the United States) found among 1175 parents 63% said that text messaging had improved communication with their child (19). Erin Jansen, author of ‘NetLingo’ The Internet Dictionary feels schools should also recognise this potential for communication with students, “If educators choose to react with alarm or dismay, to try to stifle it, or call this type of writing rude (it is not rude), they are dismissing an important opportunity to work with the student (20).

We have entered a new era of expression where young people have created their own ‘slanguage’ to meet character limits on their mobile phones. Not only this, but text messaging and more prominently the internet (with MSN and Myspace) is getting more people to write and be creative – “and that’s a great thing!” says David Crystal, an author and linguistics professor at the University of Wales at Bangor (10). Text messaging and IM (instant messaging) are creating a new frontier where young people can set aside the rules of literacy and instead create their own descriptive phrases and styles of expression to give feeling in what is essentially a two-dimensional written world (20).

Adapting to the technology and using it in a creative way is occurring around the world and even some religions have uncovered the potential of ‘text-talk’. “The new Txtament” (4) is a bible translation from Standard English to text and has allowed for teens to send encouraging and supporting verses to one another via the short message service. In Finland a study was conducted to investigate the effects of mobile phone on literacy. The research found that students were attracted to SMS because ‘the unique writing style provides opportunities for creativity’ and this had a positive effect on literacy (21).

“The prophets of doom emerge every time a new technology influences language, of course, the gathered when printing was introduced in the 15^th century” states David Crystal (10). When the newspaper no longer fulfilled its ‘referential’ function and began to focus on more flamboyant stories it was labeled as being a “decadence-producing poison”. The adoption of the telephone led to descriptions such as “an agent of social deviance” (24, pp 26-27). Luckily, the perception of these technologies has changed and society now embraces them.

In turn, text messaging has been branded with causing the demise of the English language and as “posing a threat to traditional conventions of writing” (17). Hopefully, as the technology engrains itself further into modern life, and the foundations of civilisation are still strong, the redundant fears of disgruntled education commentators and English teachers will be soothed.

We need to be reminded that there is a culture associated with the SMS style of writing and that culture is important and meaningful to our youths (20). David Crystal believes that the new forms of interaction seen in SMS and Internet exchanges will be far more important than changes in vocabulary, grammar and spelling (11). “In coming years, literacy will mean knowing how to choose between print, image, video, sound and all the potential combinations they could create to make a particular point with a specific audience” (18).