Report: Text messaging harms written language
POSTED: 10:57 a.m. EDT, April 26, 2007
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DUBLIN, Ireland (Reuters) -- The rising popularity of text messaging on mobile phones poses a threat to writing standards among Irish schoolchildren, an education commission says.

The frequency of errors in grammar and punctuation has become a serious concern, the State Examination Commission said in a report after reviewing last year's exam performance by 15-year-olds.

"The emergence of the mobile phone and the rise of text messaging as a popular means of communication would appear to have impacted on standards of writing as evidenced in the responses of candidates," the report said, according to Wednesday's Irish Times. "Text messaging, with its use of phonetic spelling and little or no punctuation, seems to pose a threat to traditional conventions in writing."

The report laments that, in many cases, candidates seemed "unduly reliant on short sentences, simple tenses and a limited vocabulary".

In 2003, Irish 15-year-olds were among the top 10 performers in an international league table of literacy standards compiled by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

I agree with that statement.
I may not be the best speller and such but I hate when people text type.
It takes twice the time to read and it is hard to deal with for me anyways.

Cell phones are a curse and a blessing. Great for emergencies but people use them as a social status. If you don't have one you are not cool per say.
I have one and I use it only for when I am on the highway for emergencies or if I am leaving work and I am on call. My friends hate I never have it on unless I know someone is going to be getting hold of me.
How hard is it to write two rather then 2, or YOU rather then U.
Drives me nuts.

i'm not sure if it's hurting my writting skills, but it's beating the crap out of my thumb:(

Worse writing skill would seem a reasonable sacrifice to the convenience instant text messaging provides for a lot of people. Different point of views you know.

Surely when a lot of the conveniences that we take for granted today first came out, similar arguments were elicited about how it made things easier but people dumber or fatter or whatever. Yet I don't think many today would lament having telephone (not even cell phone), computer, cars, AC, Ipod, internet, digital camera, quick checkouts at grocery store...and all those wonderfully convenient inventions.

There was a 10,000 dollar award for the best and fastest text messanger at a texting competition.

wow to get paid for texting.. LOL

Chatrooms begat texting. I remember one summer before 8th grade - I spent so much time typing on MSN Messenger that, for some reason, wrote "LOL" on a paper - and she asked me what it was supposed to say.