16:07 Gulf News: Texting is only affecting written English, which is not akin to killing a language.
16:10 Anureet Kaur: I agree with this statement. Technology was created to ease the lives of people. While texting, we are least concerned about grammar and more concerned about the flow of conversation. I believe as long as the sender and the receiver are understanding each other’s message, it is fine. Yes, it is affecting written English but do we use the same kind of English while writing an essay, exam or a formal report? No. As a student, I constantly use texting to communicate with my friends but it does not affect the way I write. As long as a person knows the difference between standard and non-standard English, I think it’s fine and understandable.
16:18 Shweta Madhu: The style of writing always differs from the style of talking, and isn’t texting a modernised, easier way of ‘talking’? Texting makes our fast-paced lives even easier but by no means affects our written English and definitely has no impact when it actually comes down to writing an exam, report or essay. Moreover, English is a culmination of more than just ink stains on paper. To say that texting kills English would be an exaggeration, as there is more to such a universal language than just its written word.
16:19 Raunak Kapur: We, as students, learn English as a subject. Now if we hinder the learning of this language with text lingo, then how can we succeed in an English exam? Due to text lingo, we face a lot of problems when we are writing an essay or anything else.
16:22 Gitika Jadhwani: Texting is only a simple and convenient form of communication and it is not responsible for the downfall of the English language. But texting on a regular basis greatly affects written language.
16:26 Gulf News: Acronyms and space restrictions encourage brevity, making people more skillful communicators.
16:26 Anureet Kaur: I think it is making us better communicators. Social networking websites have become a marketing tool for many organisations and hence they use the ‘140 word’ style to convey messages, which is quick and simple. I’ve always heard of an acronym called “Kiss” which stands for “Keep it short and simple”. In today’s fast-paced world, you would want to get straight to the point without allowing a reader or consumer’s attention to drift. These kinds of tools do make people more skillful communicators. A skillful communicator also avoids monotonous and repetitive forms of writing. You would want to read something that is catchy, interesting and short.
16:31 Simran Vedvyas: For reasons of my own, I’m not much for texting. I prefer talking on the phone to sending text messages. Again, by choice, I don’t like leaving a message as it’s like talking to the answering machine. But this does not limit me. Posting smart, short messages is also an art in itself. Sometimes you learn a lot by this, too, especially how to be short and sweet and yet convey your point effectively.
16:32 Raunak Kapur: Today’s text lingo has spoiled our communication skills. It’s restricting us from using a rich vocabulary, instead we speak in acronyms. Even if we are in a formal meeting somewhere or the other, we use the same words that we use for texting.
16:33 Shweta Madhu: Communicating is an immortal art that is a culmination of a number of aspects that make it what it is. Simple texts do not affect the real beauty of the language. Living life in the fast lane, like we do today, means that shorter, quicker texts only make things easier. It actually makes us better communicators in the sense that it allows for simple, quick and catchy conversation that saves time. However, this does not mean that it has completely overridden our ability to write or speak freely.
16:33 Raunak Kapur: Current generation students do not find solutions to problems but instead find shortcuts to reach the root of the problem. Whatever is short and sweet, we accept it. And that is what is happening right now.
16:36 Simran Vedvyas: For avid and passionate readers, new lingo and its use cannot limit the range of words and expressions. The youth today is smarter, more equipped and intelligent than ever before and that’s why in my opinion they are able to file 2,000-word pieces or maybe even more when they reach college with ease if they have learnt the language well.
16:39 Gitika Jadhwani: In my opinion, texting makes us skillful communicators. It is essential to keep things short and simple to get readers’ attention. As long as the message is delivered successfully from the sender to the receiver, the purpose of communication is achieved. Therefore, acronyms enable spontaneity and make people skilful communicators.
16:43 Gulf News: Text lingo allows for use of very limited vocabulary and expression, which will inevitably lead to the decline of the language.
16:44 Raunak Kapur: Yes it has. When we read more and more we come to know about a new word or two. But with text lingo, we are degrading our vocabulary. Someone rightly said: Technology has given us powerful communication tools but it cannot alter the fact that we have nothing useful to say. That is the kind of habit which we are facing. We don’t want to read proper English. We can only read when text lingo is used.
16:44 Shweta Madhu: It is true that texting, with its abbreviations and lack of nuance or warmth, has led to a sudden decline in expression and vocabulary but that by no means will lead to what is said to be the inevitable downfall of a language that seems so immortal. New technology will always spawn new words. But to argue that this is a bad thing is to deny the very flexibility that makes language useful. Just ask authors like William Shakespeare, who have probably coined the most words in English. Therefore, texting is only a new way of ‘talking’ and definitely not the birth of a new language that will overwrite the one that exists currently. To text is to communicate in as brief and urgent a manner as necessary. But with all the other available modes of communication, including the good old ‘face-to-face’ type, usage of words isn’t much of a worry.
16:46 Anureet Kaur: I agree with this. Short and perhaps even skillful communication often avoids any expression of feeling. While the art of communication has not been lost, the art of conveying your feelings has definitely been lost. Even though everything has its pros and cons, one must not get carried away. Use the benefits of texting, but also call your loved ones to talk.
16:49 Simran Vedvyas: It would not be wise to say that word-usage is being limited but appropriate to say that in today’s fast-paced world, who has the time to read messages that are too long? Rarely used or new words always grab the attention of someone who is interested to learn about them. Vocabulary is vast and a life-time is too short to learn it all. So my suggestion for readers is to keep learning, sharing and communicating - whether it is by short text messages or creative English.
