Linguists Are Mixed About Text Messages
Here in the US there have been plenty of stories about how upset teachers and language purists were when instant messaging “shortcuts” started showing up in regular written work from students. Now that text messaging on mobile phones is starting to catch on here as well, the fear has been transferred to mobile phones. People are just so afraid of kids using abbreviations. Basically, it sounds like some English teachers are wound up a bit too tight. While students should be warned that using such shortcuts in other settings may not go over well, people worried about the “destruction” of our language clearly have no sense of history – and the ways that languages change over time.
