By Hunter Stevens
As technology changes more and more everyday, writing does as well. Writing has become more informal than ever with phones and popular sites like Facebook, and Twitter. Informal writing is not necessarily bad, but that does not mean it is always a good thing either.
This is obviously a touchy subject. Teachers, adults, students, and teenagers are going to have different views on this subject. Some think that informal writing is unacceptable, while others claim that it should be allowed. English teacher Mrs. Amy Schmeltz claims, “No, unless you are working on a creative writing assignment, there is no place for slang in a formal writing assignment.” Junior Ella Portteus actually agrees with Mrs. Schmeltz’s statement and says, “I think it all depends on what you are writing about. In most cases, no, because usually a teacher will want proper grammar, but sometimes I think it would be okay.”
Slang is a more indicative of a less formal environment. The more technology that is produced, the lazier most people get with writing, especially the teenage generation. Freshman Cassi Quissell agrees by saying, “Yes the more technology the more slang! Because everyone will start to become more and more lazy!” Slang is used more in sending text messages than anything else. Most teenagers have a cell phone, and are on it every chance they get. The more a person “texts” with informal usage of words, the more likely they will use it in their school work. Contrary to this, Ella claims she does not use slang in her school work, “I personally don’t. I am so used to not writing in slang that I don’t even text using it.”
Plymouth High School students enjoy new technological talk by texting informally. Photo by: Hunter Stevens
With cell phones being the main means of communication, it is only natural for adults to get involved as well. Most children feel a little awkward when their mom, dad, or any other adult uses a type of slang like: “lol,” “rotfl.” Most students usually have the same thought going through their minds, “oh my gosh this is my mom, she is not cool enough to be using “text-talk.” On the other hand, some find it humorous. “I find it funny actually. Of course parents aren’t going to understand because they didn’t grow up in the technology generation like we did,” Portteus states. Quissell disagrees by saying, “No, my parents actually use formal English, and it should be that way because they are an older generation.” Of course one could use slang while texting an adult just to confuse them. Knowing the older generation did not grow up in this type of technological world, there is a chance they will have no idea what one is trying to say.
As the years progress so does the technology. With as much technology being invented at this day in the age of teenagers, it is only likely when they are adults that technology will be controlling their lives even more so. This can be a good and a bad thing. It is beneficial in that it makes life easier in terms of communication, and with the increasing usage of computers it is additionally eco-friendly in that more paper will be saved. Unfortunately, with every upside there is a downside. Quissell says it is unacceptable to use slang, “It depends on where one puts it. When someone is speaking then yes, only if they say it that way. But any other time in a writing for school no because we aren’t texting, we’re doing a paper for a grade.” With more technology the chances of there being more slang and “text-talk” are even higher. Mrs. Schmeltz says, “I think there will be more slang, simply because I think our writing forms keep becoming shorter and shorter. For example, the character limits in Twitter have changed the way people write.”
As one can see, along with changes in technology there will be changes in writing. The older teens get, the more technology there will be. This is a good and a bad thing. Change is inevitable. One has no choice but to change with the times, but that does not necessarily mean that formal writing habits should change as well.