Imagine reading a novel with the first words written as, "I c u prob dnt no me." For someone who is a frequent text messenger and user of abbreviations this may be a legible sentence, but not everyone is on board with the functions of new technology.
"I abbreviate when I text because I'm so used to other people doing it, it just feels natural," said Melissa Lynch, a freshman nursing major.
Many students use abbreviations in their text messages for convenience and to save time. Whether they're official abbreviations or personal ones, they often help with faster typing than someone who types out each word, according to Lynch.
Aside from the speed that shortening words can provide, there is also a comfort level attached to the process. The ease of sending a message when words are shorter is a plus, but some texters don't give in to the popular culture.
"When I send a text message, I write out my words," said Shelyn Boyer, a freshman nursing major. "It really bothers me when people use abbreviations in their messages."
The reasons students may or may not abbreviate differ from person to person; however, these convenient practices may be damaging peoples' grasp of the English language.
"I feel that text messaging and e-mail are very destructive to language and the use of it," said David More, an adjunct English professor. "The relative lack of disregard for grammatical conventions and the informal tone, including abbreviations is ultimately leading to the deterioration of the English language."
Not only do professionals perceive a problem, but many students are also concerned with the effects of constant abbreviating.
"If people use them too much they might be negatively affected," said Nick Steriovski, a sophomore media study major. "Older kids know right from wrong, but the younger ones are more susceptible to use the wrong forms in formal writing."
Students that develop a habit of abbreviating may end up doing it subconsciously and the result is a possible harmful slip up in the future.
"Believe it or not, I have actually received formal compositions with the letter 'U' instead of 'you' from students," More said. "Some students are not aware that these are inappropriate for formal writing."
Abbreviations are already finding their way into college writing and current students didn't even grown up with the technology. Younger generations are being born directly into the world of text messaging and so problems may only get worse.
"If you learn the fundamentals of writing the English language by text messaging, you're off to a bad start," More said. "Having said that, I have to concede that the benefits do outweigh the problems because of the speed and ease of this form of communication."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
