I'm curious to see how many people had trouble we our activity last week of translating "Ulysses" into texting language. I know I had trouble with it. I've never really use abbreviations in my text messages--I usually write complete sentences with proper grammar, proper spelling, and all. Maybe it is just my type-A personality. Regardless, translating "Ulysses" into such condensed symbols was difficult for me.
Mrs. Elliott mentioned that according to some scholars, text language was used in literature during the Victorian period. Though its use is quite different today, text language is becoming very influential on our society. Now when you walk through the C-building hallways, you hear people yell "OMG!" in response to a surprising story their friend told them. In other words, texting language truly is becoming a language. According to some, it is becoming "a new genre" (Yukiko Nishimura, UC Davis professor). But although text language may be creating a new language, it may be destroying the English language as well. So the question arises: "Would email and texting together destroy the power of written language and literature?" Although texting is far from literature, it remains written language. However, with the growth and expansion of technology, I believe that the common interest in reading and literature is disappearing. For me, the only time I am able to read a good piece of literature is in school. I have too many extracurriculars and I don't have much time on my hands. In other words, I can only read literature when I am forced to for a class. But for others who do have time to read, texting and computers and technology in general could be a distraction from reading Alice in Wonderland or another piece of literature. I believe that texting is creating a language and destroying one. While creating a new and unique language, it reflects our lifestyle as Americans--we want things done easy and we want them done quick. And with the rapid growth of technology, texting and email have taken over our lives. My parents don't recieve a newspaper anymore because they can read all of the articles online. The only letters we recieve to our house are invitations, magazine subscriptions, and all of the pamphlets random colleges from the Northeast send to me (not to mention, I get emails from them, too). I think that as technology continues to grow, we will see the return of texting as literature similar to how it was in the Victorian period.
-Shelby F.
I also think that texting is creating a language but at the same time destroying one. Many of us in our culture text incorrectly and that is slowly becoming a habit that influences our writing as well.
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