Text Messaging and Literacy

On Easter Sunday, we were chatting with friends about child education, how the language is rapidly changing amongst kids who spend hours every day, text messaging.

The TXT language is alien, here are some examples; L2G (like to go?) LD (later dude), 14AA41 (one for all, all for one), OMDB (over my dead body). It looks like it might well be OMDB as these messages are from kids who cannot put a sentence together, mainly illiterate tweens and teens.

Illiteracy in the western world is going straight up exponentially; I wonder what it is going to be like in the next decade? ITND (in the next decade).

Text messaging is also known as SMS or Textese, textspeak or chatspeak. I guess there may be hundreds more related to this language. Grammar and punctuation is unheard of in TXT messaging, this does not auger well for kids who will eventually be applying for a job. Kids, it is going to be tough out there if you are illiterate.

Literacy, as defined by the NAAL is "Using printed and written info to function in society; to achieve one's goals and to develop one's knowledge and potential."

There are of course various levels of literacy; proficient, intermediate and basic. In the 2009 stats, 22 percent were below basic—they could not read or write! A chronic situation. Worse, about 60 percent of kids and adults who were illiterate (especially after grade 4) ended up behind bars! Therefore illiteracy and crime are closely related.

As one child in every four grows up not knowing how to read or write, we are going to be in for a tough time. So scrap all the textese, get out the books and start reading and writing—then we can all win.

See this page on teaching kids.