Text Messaging and the End of Culture

August 22, 2005 By

Text messaging is developing an entire sub-culture that revolves around an incomprehensible form of grammar. It needs to stop.

I can let a lot of things go, but if I ever find my daughter under a rock text messaging someone something that resembles “PXT :)” I might take her by the hand and make her share a cheeseburger with me at McDonald’s in the hopes that, at the very least, she asks me for some fries and experiences a bit of Americana.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m for inane gossip and conversation as much as the next guy, but let’s keep it in its proper place in the scope of human interaction like, say, face-to-face meetings, audible exchanges over a phone of some kind, or good-old-fashioned e-mail.

And I?m no technophobe, either. I haven?t written a letter Ben Franklin style in more than a decade, and I?ve got a LAN. But it?s one thing to call someone and describe waiting in line for coffee or to e-mail someone with offensive grammar, never really say anything, and write only to get a reply back so you can tell yourself, ?People like me.?

I get that.

What I don?t get are people who basically study, learn, and apply an elaborate language of text-message abbreviations when most phones allow for about 160 characters per message. Short of dropping a CUL8R on somebody once in a while, I don?t see the use or the appeal.

Sure, abbreviations are shorter. But how many characters do you need to say, ?gonna be late and miss dinner. be home at 10,? or ?are you going to jen?s? me and kate are going. you should go.?

Maybe I just don?t have that much to say. Or maybe it?s people who abbreviate who have nothing to say and like sending off virtual nothingness, KNIM? Or maybe I?ve just never been part of a sub-culture.

But at least most sub-cultures are interactive and help define a person?s identity. Take Anime people. They get excited about Anime and even talk about it with other people, often in person and at large conventions. Or take people who learn Tolkien?s Elvish language and speak it to anyone who will listen. They?ve at least read or skimmed a classic piece of literature at one time and when you describe them to someone you say, ?Yeah, that guy really loves Tolkien. He?s a trip . . . He even knows Elvish.?

I can handle that. I just don?t get text-message abbreviators — lovers of the throw-away phrase. It must be a sort of addiction.

Though I do suppose sending abbreviated text to your friend when you can’t write a full sentence is fun and fanciful for about one second — if you?re 12 and detained in a classroom somewhere.

But no matter how fun it is, the day your kid likes memorizing random text-message abbreviations — which isn?t unlike memorizing the Periodic Table — more than classic childhood vices like going to the mall or playing video games, you should perhaps be concerned that the thing some refer to as socialization isn’t quite happening.

Just look at video games. Long the symbol of vapid youth, video games, by comparison, are harmless — assuming you believe that art imitates life and not the other way around. Video games certainly do an excellent job making some kids heavier and odder than they should be, but at least video games have some redeeming qualities: They’re entertaining; they’re social outlets — when not played alone in a dark room; and they improve hand-eye coordination. Video games, by comparison, are great.

I could think of about 7 million things a kid should learn — one being the English language and another being Mario Kart — before they learn what GR&D, YMMV, or TTTT mean.

Let?s stop the madness — PLZ.

Chris Ehrlich is a Portland-based copywriter. (http://www.ewcomm.com/)

Showing 7 comments

drldgeorge57 at 6:02pm 15th May 2010 I, too, fine text-messaging to be quite a subculture. Some people are completely absorbed by it and m=only communicate in this mode because not only does it save time, but also it allows for a bit of secrecy and indiscretion. Let me explain, I met a new friend and all she did while we were out was send and received text messages. In a modern era, folks were a bit more discrete and courteous by not whispering while others are present, otherwise it would appear as if they were talking about others who were present. This post-modern culture does seem to care a bit, for the most part, which is a sort of an indifferent kind of attitude.
Once Portuguese at 6:41am 24th September 2008 And then there are adults who are running short on time and use text messaging as their primary mode of communication. After receiving a text page marriage proposal, I started a blog to explore the new "Text Page Culture" further: http://textpageculture.wordpress.com/
Demexii at 9:39pm 1st January 2008 The answer is obvious. It says a LOT of time. It may only be cutting out a few letters but it saves a lot of keystrokes. Especially if you do it almost nonstop as many teens do. It doesn't have to do with the 160 limit as much (mostly because phones will now send it as two texts and everyone has unlimited) but it still takes a long time to type out even normal words on that number pad. Saves a lot of time.
ken at 10:46pm 13th October 2007 Well, guess I'm a little L8 on this thread... google got me here while looking for "message abbreviator". See, when sms msgs basically cost .05 each, plus it takes time to thumb a msg in with an avg of 2 strokes per letter... every letter adds up to lost time.

Just my .02 .

(btw, I have a theory that humans are just naturally snobbish (or at least particular in the sense of "rules-for-the-sake-of-rules") about their language, because that predilection accelerated the evolution of our language back in our cave days. But today, it's less relevant because we have so many rules about language (not to mention an over-abundance of English (etc) teachers), and in fact sticking to all those archaic rules even slows down language evolution now.)

Fine. Whatever. We all adapt eventually, yean? (You know what I mean?)

(eh?)

;)
Ashleigh at 12:55pm 6th September 2005 Well, I think this article makes sne but at the ame time I feel like maybe the author had nothing else to do. It could get a little out of control if noone can understand it but, appearntly it hasn't become a problem. And im sure 9 times out of 10 adult arent really even texting if they can say what they have to say. So if they are texting then they are probably in a situation where they cant reply in a full length sentence.
tyler at 11:11pm 22nd August 2005 I think that Chris is just bitter that he's going to have to start writing copy for teenie-boppers in a sub-language unfamilar to him (Okay, I don't actually think that, but it why not?). I think that with txt-spk (does it have a name yet?) like with anything else--video games, movies, l33t--it only really changes the behavior in a few, very special, individuals. Most children aren't going to write their book reports in l33t or txt-message-abbreviation-hell (I think this is the official name) but there are a few sad people who will try, receive an F, and then (hopefully) never do it again.

To be honest, I was a little surprised that you didn't just come out and say that it resembled newspeak.
TechFreak at 10:20pm 22nd August 2005 Funny piece. I notice people online using these new acronyms as well, both on instant chat and online games. Personally it drives me crazy and I have run across some adults that are starting to use it as well. What good is English class if everyone is going to use some idiotic form of Ebonics in the real word?