The outbreak of social media has entirely changed the way people communicate with each other. With smartphones, laptops, smartwatches and 4G networks, we are more connected than ever. Along with this advanced technology has come the creation of an entire new language called cyber slang. Contrary to what many believe, cyber slang has proved to improve literacy rates among students.
According to Education World, cyber slang is a language that uses shortcuts such as alternate words or symbols to convey one's message electronically. For example, one might use "LMK" for let me know, "IDK" for I don't know or "BRB" for I'll be right back.
Many people believe that cyber slang will lead to destruction of the English language. Teachers complain that students are incorporating too much slang into their essays and parents complain that they cannot understand their children's text messages. However, language is fluid. New words and phrases come along with each generation, but literacy rates also increase with each generation. In creating cyber slang, teenagers are innovating and enriching the English language just as generations before them have done.
A study conducted by Sali Tagliamonte showed that communication is a mixture of formal and informal language and that these mediums are constantly changing. She concluded that "students showed that they knew where to use proper English." A student might not start sentences with capital letters or use correct punctuation when texting or tweeting, however, they still understand to do this when writing formal papers. Yes, a "u" instead of you or an extra "like" might be added here or there, but students still understand the basic grammar and punctuation rules of formal writing.
In another study conducted by researchers Beverly Plester and Clare Wood, 35 11-year-old children were quizzed about their knowledge of smartphones and then asked to translate between normal English and cyber slang. They were also asked to complete tasks involving English writing, reading and spelling. The study was conducted in response to concerns from parents and teachers about whether text messaging could lower a child's literacy rate. Their findings suggested no evidence linking the use of cyber slang to low literacy rates. However, they found that "the children who were the best at using 'textisms' were also found to be the best spellers and writers."
Despite the common belief that cyber language, or teenage slang, will lead to the downfall of the English language, cyber slang has lead to an increase in literacy rates. Students have learned when to use their slang language and when not to use it. Language is constantly changing, therefore, with each generation comes terms that are new to adults. Today's teenagers should not be getting a bad reputation for being innovative by creating a new language while their literacy rates are on the rise.
