The Effect of Texting on the English Language

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There are many forms of digital communication available in this era for people to use. Twitter,

Facebook, and emailing are just a few examples; however the mode of digital communication most

frequently used has to be texting. The number of cell phone owners who text has grown from 58

per cent in 2007 to 80 per cent in 2012. Furthermore, the number of text messages sent monthly in

the U.S. exploded from 14 billion in 2000 to 188 billion in 2010, according to a Pew Institute survey.

As a result this essay will be closely focused on social attitudes towards how texting is affecting the

English language.

One very common feature of texting is the use of emoticons. Emoticons are also widely used in

other forms of digital communication. As icons that show facial expressions, they are extremely

useful in conveying the tone of the message sent. For example: ‘What happened? : o’, shows that

the writer is surprised or shocked. Whereas, the same message with a different emoticon: ‘What

happened? ;-)’ completely changes the context of the phrase. In this case, the writer asks the

question playfully, perhaps with a slight insinuation. Many people use emoticons to give their

messages more warmth and a personal touch, as texting is usually regarded as a cold, distant

way of communicating. They also help clarify the meaning behind a text. Without paralinguistic

signals such as: tone of voice, expressions, and body language present to indicate the seriousness

of their words, it can be very easy to misinterpret a message. Emoticons clear up any doubt and

vagueness. However, others argue that they seem childish and unprofessional for adults. Emoticons

are inappropriate when used with unfamiliar people or a person wi...

... middle of paper ...

...punctuation to

their advantage. By using lots of question and exclamation marks, they can correctly convey what

the tone of their voice would be if they were to read the text aloud. An excess use of question marks

suggests the person is very curious and desperate to get an answer (depending on how many there

are). Similarly, lots of exclamation marks suggest excitement and question marks with exclamation

marks (as shown above) signal disbelief. The capitals add to the effect and cue a loud exclamation.

Not to forget emoticons are fundamentally, creatively put together punctuation. Using non-standard

punctuation and capitals, is another example of a way young people have managed to make digital

communication easy to relate with spoken conversations, however, becoming habituated to using

incorrect punctuation can have a negative impact on school work.

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