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Jael Jara

McGriff

Enc1101

March 16, 2018

Declining Communication Skills

Is the cause of the decline in communication skills a direct effect of the use of texting and

social media? A large controversial issue, with many fascinating rebuttals. The usage of SMS

(Short Message Service) aka text messaging has played a large role in communicating in the real

world. Teens, caught up in the world wide web, tend to forget about the old fashion way of

meeting and greeting one another. They have begun to rely on memes and the fact of hiding

behind cell phones to communicate. However, recent studies have shown that the increased

usage of texting and social media has allowed not only teens, but also adults the opportunity to

reach out to old friends and meet new ones from across the world. Social media itself , has

proven to be an astounding tool in communicating throughout the world. The use of social media

and texting has ruptured the use of the english language, but not so much speech as writing;

social media and texting has limited our ways of communicating and enlarged our social

interaction and vocabulary.

Additionally, the use of social media and texting has damaged people’s use of the English

language. Referring to damaging our way of speech and writing, David Crystal notes in “2b or

Not 2b?,” that “texting is wrecking our language,” it is “raping our vocabulary,” ( page 899).

However, as time passed and companies began to learn how to charge for the new services,
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texting grew globally, “There is increasing evidence that it helps rather than hinders literacy,”

Crystal claims in his attempt to defend his argument. When he mentions “texting is wrecking our

language,” and “raping our vocabulary,” he is merely saying that people who may text seem to

break phonological rules. Some may find themselves abbreviating or using international mobile

equipment identity (IMEI) to text peers, friends, and co-workers; realizing the use of the

abbreviations became more frequent than not. John McWhorter makes a claim in “Is Texting

Killing the English Language?,” that “Texting properly isn’t writing at all- it’s actually more

akin to spoken language. And it’s a spoken language that is getting richer and more complex by

the year.” McWhorter is saying that when a person is writing there is time taken out to

“deliberately,” write your message; whereas speaking is faster and done without thought.

Continuously, the use of social media and text messaging has enlarged our social

interaction and vocabulary. It is been known that texting has begun to create its own way of

literacy. McWhorter writes in “Is Texting Killing the English Language?,” that “Texting is

developing its own kind of grammar.” For example, IMEI’s have become words that signal

emotions and “ease tension,” McWhorter states. “LOL,” is not seen as “laughing out loud,”

however identifies that there is no problems; projecting a type of attitude. Subconsciously, we

have adjusted to the change and added fuel to the flame. Currently, emotions, attitudes, and tone

can be predicted with an emoji - an enhancement to texting- or the simple fact that the art of

texting teaches people to craft messages to get their points across. Social media plays a large role

in the interaction piece of our declining communication skills. The modern use of technology

allows a person to speak with people globally with a click of a button. Social media has been

found to “bring people from distant places together who otherwise would remain strangers,”
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Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein claim in “Is Digital Communication Good or Bad- or Both?”

( Page 169). This alone has built bonds and started companies. Granting the ability to email,

facebook, video chat, etc. However, the “quality,” as Graff and Birkenstein state in “Is Digital

Communication Good Bad-or Both?” has seen to “undermine” true conversations. Social media

allows people, to hide behind emails, web pages, and blogs rather than have slow meaningful

conversations. Or allow someone to “ignore” a person's “point of view,” in an argument , ( Page

170 They Say I Say) .

Finally, the use of social media has limited the ways and added to the decline in

communication skills. There have been arguments that we become more intelligent because we

are exposed to more with the new technology provided. However, an accusation as such has

allowed a discovery of the prevention of you thinking clearly, as Graff and Birkenstein state in

“They Say I Say.” Yes we have access to more, but it has destroyed the practice our ancestors

used to find information. Now , we have dictionaries, encyclopedias, and more at the click of a

button. Consequently, some information found can make us “dumber,” as Graff and Cathy state,

rather than smarter. The sources used, can result to be unreliable and give fake news. Social

media has caused readers and writers to neglect listening , understanding , and or analyzing

skills.

Conclusively, the use of social media and texting has allowed our world to grow and

expand. Interacting with different people globally, enlarging our horizons. Creating a method to

where we learn how to apply attitude and tone through messaging. A world of new and improved

ways of life. However is that ultimately better? Or is there a ripple effect? Are we allowing the

increased use of social media and text messaging to diminish a traditional way to meet and greet
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a person? Or are we simply evolving and social media and text messaging has become the new

meet and greet? All questions but no answers. How will you answer them?

Works Cited

Graff, Gerald, and Cathy Birkenstein.​”They Say/ I Say”​ ​the Moves That Matter in Academic

Writing with Readings. ​W.W. Norton & Company, 2014.

Lunsford, Andrea, Michal Brody, Lisa Ede, Beverly J. Moss, Carole Clark Papper, and Keith

Walters. ​Everyone’s an Author with Readings.​W.W. Norton & Company, 2017.

McWhorter, John. “Is Texting Killing the English Language?” ​Time, ​Time, 25 Spr. 2013,

ideas.time.com/2013/04/25/is-texting-killing-the-english-language/.