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Selena Kriston

17 October 2018

ENC1101

Professor McGriff

Argument Essay

Social media and texting are becoming more of a normality with improvements to

technology in today’s society. Technology is constantly changing, and is causing in-person

interactions to fade. While many feel that social media and texting do not have a large effect on

society, the use of these have limited the ways people communicate, have damaged people’s use

of the English language and have reduced social interaction and vocabulary.

Communication between people has become restricted through the use of social media

and texting. Communication is and always has been a part of life that will continue to change.

Many people feel that texting is improving communication. In “Is Texting Killing the English

Language?” John McWhorter states that “texting is actually a new kind of talking.” Although, it

is hard to write the same as one speaks because there is “no mechanism to reproduce the speed of

conversation.” Texting has also given a leeway into making conversations shorter, but this can

sometimes lead to miscommunication. For example, in “Is Digital Communication Good or Bad_

or Both?” Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein mention that while someone may respond with a

quick and blunt response, there is “a greater chance of misunderstanding,” and it is important to

clarify what you are saying. This has made an impact on society and has limited communication.

Texting and social media have begun to destroy the English language. Some people think

that certain features, such as autocorrect, help to enhance the English language. However while

texting, people tend to use abbreviations and emoticons within their conversations, so autocorrect
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cannot help in this way. As discussed in “2b or not 2b” by David Crystal, some people have to

pay for every text they send, so it is important to have a way to quickly and effectively get their

point across. “The most noticeable feature is the use of single letters, numerals, and symbols to

represent words or parts of words,” mentions Crystal. Texting can be seen as something that is

opening a door to a new way of communicating. On the contrary, McWhorter mentions that

“texting is developing its own kind of grammar.” This grammar may make it easier and quicker

to text, but it can also be confusing and easily misunderstood. For example, McWhorter

describes how the abbreviation LOL could be “” laughing out loud” in a literal sense” or “basic

empathy between texters, easing tension and creating a sense of equality.” One would be able to

decipher between which meaning should be used, based on the tone or direction that the

conversation has. However, when speaking through text, it can be hard to fully understand the

tone that is being used. Texting is damaging the use of the English language in today’s society.

Social interactions and vocabulary have also taken a toll from texting and social media.

Many people have a high vocabulary and do well interacting with others in certain situations

because “it is a natural desire to do so for special occasions” states McWhorter. However, many

people do not fully explain what they are talking about and “leave [the other person] guessing,”

says Graff and Birkenstein. Many people do not make their point of view clear, and this makes

the conversation hard to follow. McWhorter brings up the point that people “on their

smartphones are fluently using a code” but this “code” can sometimes be brought into writing.

With that being said, the “code” does not contain real words. Texting is limiting social

interactions and vocabulary one text at a time.

At the moment, technology is always improving and leaving a large impact on society.

Communication is being limited between people and groups. The English language has begun to
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completely change, and not in a good way. Lastly, the vocabulary and social interactions

throughout society have decreased due to texting. Social media and texting have left a negative,

lasting impact on our world.

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Work Cited

Crystal, David.”2b or Not 2b?” Everyone’s An Author with Reading. W.W. Norton and

Company, 2017, pp. 899-907.

Graff, Gerald, and Cathy Birkenstein. They Say I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic

Writing. W.W. Norton & Company, 2018.

McWhorter, John. ”Is Texting Killing the English Language?” TIME, Time Inc., 25, April 2013,

http://ideas.time.com/2013/04/25/is-texting-killing-the-english-language/print/. Accessed

22 October 2018.