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James Malloy

Professor McGriff

ENC 1101

4/02/2020

Digital vs Traditional Communication: Different Rules, Different Languages

How many times did you text today? Once? Maybe a dozen quick messages? And every

message you sent was probably less than an actual sentence, for example: “lol, mom can u txt me the

recipe 4 ur cookies?” This form of quick communication has become the default way of discussing

topics and asking one another for information. However some feel that this prevalent way of

communicating has dulled our traditional English skills and proper communication skills. Improper

grammar, misspellings, gibberish words that have actual meanings? Not looking face to face? Poor

English communication but acceptable Texting; different rules for different languages. That's just it,

Texting has become a language onto itself and is actually not harming anyone's skill with English or

communication: Texting follows different rules than written English, Texting has expanded the use of

communication, and Texting has actually improved communication skills in general.

As a result of my study, I have had to conclude that Texting follows different language rules

than traditional written English. As Michelle Maltais quoted in her article “YSK, teens 2 fluent in

TXT”: “Routine use of textual adaptations by current and future generations of [young people] may

serve to create the impression that this is normal and accepted use of the language and rob this age

group of a fundamental understanding of standard English grammar.” Michelle also quotes, “... [young

people] aren't able to “code switch” - shift between standard grammar and the abbreviations used in

text messages. … Those abbreviations have essentially become the words for them.” Basically that we
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learn texting at such a young language that we merge it with what we learn at younger ages to be

proper English grammar and can't shift between languages. I feel Michelle is mistaken because she

overlooked how texting has evolved as a language itself with its own rules and differences. As John

McWhorter states in his article “Is Texting Killing the English Language?”, “Texting properly isn't

writing at all - it's actually more akin to a spoken language.” With this statement, John opens up the

thought that not only is spoken English different to written English but that Texting is more like

speaking to someone through text, rather than writing a letter in proper English; different rules. Texting

produces a different thought process (talking) rather than writing when typing. In my experience, this

actually makes it easier to separate the two, texting is basically like typing out the sounds I would make

in speech and the facial expressions I would make, and writing (like this essay) is more akin to writing

traditionally.

A number of scholars have suggested that texting has negatively affected how we communicate.

John Humphrys posits in his article “I h8 txt msgs: How texting is wrecking our language”, “Instead of

aiding communication [texting] can be a barrier.” John claims that texting is a barrier to

communication, and I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, I agree that texting does require

some learning to understand or maybe just a change in mindset. On the other hand, I still think that

after that minor barrier is overcome, it drastically increases our capacity for communication. However,

once this barrier is bypassed, as Cathy Birkenstein and Gerald Graff state in their book “They Say/I

Say”, “... virtually the moment we voice an opinion online, we can get responses from supporters and

critics alike, ... and to conversations they might never have been able to join.” (166) The idea that

adopting texting can connect us to people we might have never talked to, with a common internet

language, is quite the opposite of the barrier John described.

As mentioned earlier in the text, there are some who believe that texting is ruining our ability to

communicate when I believe it actually increases our ability to communicate. To quote Michelle's
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article again, “[Results of study of younger people and texting] … show broad support for a general

negative relationship between the use of techspeak in texting and scores on a grammar assessment.”

Michelle's point is that texting interferes with English communication skills. My view, however,

contrary to what Michelle has argued, is that communication has been improved by the learning of

texting and techspeak. As David Crystal researched in his article “2b or not 2b”, “[Latest studies by

Coventry University] … found strong positive links between the use of text language and the skills

underlying success in standard English in pre-teenage kids.” I agree wholeheartedly, as we learned

earlier, not learning techspeak early can act as a barrier to texting and with good education, a young

person can learn the differences between traditional English and techspeak, improving their skills with

communication in general.

So does texting and digital communication ruin our skills at communicating? I do not believe

so. As we learned through the text, e-communication requires different rules and learning, widens our

ability to communicate in general, and improves our overall skills with communication. As John

McWhorter states later in his article, “Worldwide people speak differently from the way they write and

texting – quick, casual and only intended to be read once – is actually a way of speaking with your

fingers.” An interesting thought. So next time you text, sound it out phonetically and match your facial

expression to the emoji you attach and see if they match.

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Works Cited:

Lunsford, Andrea, Michal Brody, Lisa Ede, Beverly J. Moss, Carole Clark Papper, Keith Walters

Crystal, David “2b or not 2b”

Everyone's an Author, Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc., (p. 899) 2016

Birkenstein, Cathy and Gerald Graff

“Don't Make Them Scroll Up” and “Is Digital Communication Good or Bad or Both?”

They Say/I Say, Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc., (p. 166) 2014

McWhorter, John “Is Texting Killing the English Language?”, Time.com, April 25, 2013

Ideas.time.com/2013/04/25/is-texting-killing-the-english-language/print/

Humphrys, John “I h8 txt msgs: How texting is wrecking our language”, DailyMail.co.uk, September

24, 2007

dailymail.co.uk/news/article-483511/I-h8-txt-msgs-How-texting-is-wrecking-our-language/

Maltais, Michelle “YSK, teens 2 fluent in TXT”, LATimes.com, August 2, 2012

latimes.com/business/la-xpm-2012-aug-2-la-fi-tn-texting-ruining-kids-grammar-skills-

20120801-story/