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Essay / The Impacts of Textism on Students and the English Language
Table of ContentsCharacteristics of Textism1. Typographic symbols and emoticonsLetters and numbers HomophonesContractions, shortenings and hyphenationInitialism and acronymsAbbreviationsRepetitionAccent Stylization and unconventional spellingWhy young people frequently use SMSInfluence of SMS on students' spelling skillsPositive influenceNegative influenceNo influenceTechnologies like mobile phones and the Internet have changed people's lives and English language. With the invention of these technologies, the manner and style of communication has also changed. People can now use quick means of communication in the form of text messages. Nowadays, teenagers prefer to use texting as a mode of communication with their friends. Text messages are used as a means of communication for mobile phone users. It is made up of letters, numbers and symbols. Friedhelm Hillebrand and Bernard Ghilebaert developed this concept in 1984. Neil Popworth sent the first "Merry Christmas" text message to his friend Richard Jarvis in 1992 at Sema Group Telecom. At that time, there were no keypads on cell phones, so he typed the message on PC and sent it to his friend at Vodafone. On the one hand, service providers are used to send text messages, while on the other hand, the Internet is used to send instant messages. These are the two different modes of communication for adults. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get Original EssayWhatsapp, Viber, Facebook, Messenger and web chat are included in instant messages. Most people use cell phones for texting because they don't have access to the Internet. SMS and call packages on all networks have made it easier to contact other people. Not only rich people, but even the most modest communities use this technology. It is not wrong to say that with the advent of technologies such as mobile phones, a new form of language is emerging, namely text language. Texting is the latest mode of communication. In textual language, people use abbreviations and graphics to convey messages, which is different from the formal style of writing. Most teenage students use this language to communicate. As a result, a new language, a new identity and a new discourse emerge. In Pakistan, the use of mobile phones is increasing day by day. According to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in October 2011, around 65% of adolescents use mobile phones. In June 2011, it was 64.8%. Text messages remove shyness, so most people prefer texting over face-to-face conversations. Due to the large number of SMS plans across all low-cost networks, SMS has become popular among young students. Mobile users write the message in a short form to save time. To convey meaning, words and phrases as well as symbols are used in SMS language. SMS language is increasing day by day. Researchers are working on the impacts of SMS language on students' writing skills. Characteristics of Textism Due to text messages, the English language has been changed. Textual language is different from conventional language. There are certain features in which textual language differs from conventional language. Some of the main features of text messaging language are describedbelow:1. Typographic symbols and emoticonsTypographic symbols are single or multiple letters that symbolize the entire word. For example, “zzz” means sleep, slumber and tiredness. To emphasize something, several punctuations are used like !!! And???. Emoticons are the type of representation that sends an emotion in the form of a facial expression like 🙂 for smile. Letters and Numbers HomophonesThe combination of letters and numbers is used to represent a whole word associated with the pronunciation of a word. For example, cu l8r and w8.Contractions, shortening andClippingContraction is the absence of the mid vowel sound. For example, txt for text and hmwrk for homework. Word shortening is the omission of letters. It is commonly used to write the month and day. For example, February for February and sun for Sunday. Clipping is the absence of a final letter in a word. For example, wil for will and hav for have. Initialism and AcronymsInitialsim is the use of the first letter of a word to represent the whole world. For example, OMG is used to represent oh my god and bf for boyfriend. In acronyms, the first letter of a word symbolizes the entire word. For example, NATO (National Atlantic Treaty Organization) and NAB (National Accountancy Bureau).AbbreviationsThe short form of a word is used to represent the entire word. For example, Dr. is used for doctor and msg for message. CPU is short for central processing unit. RepetitionLengthening and repeating the same letters are used for emphasis like 'sooo' and 'yesss'. Repeating the same letter in a sentence shows that something is very important. Accent Stylization and Unconventional Spelling On the one hand, accent stylization is the code of youth in which words are spelled in accordance with regional speech. For example, I want to want and I'm going to go for it. On the other hand, unconventional spelling is not the conventional spelling of the word, rather people create their own spelling. Texting language is widely used among adolescents. There are two types of textism; linguistic textism and contextual textism. On the one hand, acronyms, lowercase letters, omitted apostrophes and word shortenings are included in linguistic textism. Words like I can't, don't have and won't have an apostrophe in SMS language. Word shortening is the omission of vowels like "tht" is used for this and "u" is for you. On the other hand, contextual textism involves using smileys and capital letters. Teenagers use not only word shortening, but also unconventional spellings like fone instead of phone. The short syntactic and lexical form is used in the SMS language. Why do young people frequently use SMS? A new language was introduced with the advent of SMS. As this language is different from formal writing, people need to pay special attention to understand this language. Different types of abbreviations and symbols are used in this language. This language is only involved between senders and receivers. Text messages are a way for young people to contact their friends. This allows people to stay in touch with their loved ones. Texting is the easiest way to give form to our emotions. It is better if people who are not confident enough can express their feelings face to face. Most teenagers use this mode of communication to solve problems. SMS language is used for a variety of reasons. To save time, people use shortcuts because the language ofCourier delivers the message in a short time. It is not wrong to say that SMS language is important to save time and money. Currently, this style of writing is considered a “modern” and “stylized” way of writing. Text language is a rapid way in which people share information in a very short period of time. It does not require any sentence structure or grammar of any language. The lives of young people of the younger generation have been profoundly influenced by SMS. Nikirk calls the younger generation the “millennial generation.” The younger generation considers social media like Facebook and texting as an essential part of social life. According to the article published by the Center for Innovative Research in Public Health 2015, three-quarters of adolescents aged 12 to 17 have their own cell phone. Boys text less than girls. Girls send 3,952 text messages per month while boys send 2,815 per month. Texting is basically the way to convey messages due to unlimited message plans, texting has become a part of the teenager's life. Now teenagers send countless text messages to their friends. Teenagers are so addicted to texting that they even text during classes, brushing, meals, and even in the cafeteria. Even keeping the phone close to them while they sleep. A study in the UK shows that 80% of people under 25 and 14% of people over 55 choose to text rather than call. This indicates that not only adults but also elders also use this mode of communication. SMS language is also used in the office to contact workers. Over time, texting has become more popular. Influence of texting on students’ spelling skills. There are positive and negative influences of texting language on students' spelling skills. The Globe and the Mail published an article titled “Texting Helps Teens’ Grammar” which describes the positive influence of texting. Another titled “Texting, Twitter Contributes to Students’ Poor Grammar Skills” and describes the negative influence of texting on students’ grammatical skills. Positive influence Sending text messages like emoticons and symbols does not destroy the language, but rather increases the creativity of students. Texting is beneficial for students because it allows students to engage in writing. Young students use cell phones to improve spelling because it allows them to express their ideas and thoughts freely. This is valuable for spelling development. Crystal says, “The more you text, the better your literacy results.” He considers textism as a blessing and goes against the negative impacts of textism on students' writing skills. SMS language improves students' creativity. While texting, students are in a constant state of thinking and writing. As a result, it increases phonetic awareness in children. Negative Influence Text messages have a negative influence on students' writing skills. So, some parents and educators believe that it can pose a threat to a student's writing skills. Oxely states that "texting is a more relaxed and colloquial version of the English language with rare use of grammar, increased use of abbreviations and emoticons." Teenagers use this language in their writing skills. Addiction to text language has negative impacts on writing skills. ”