I H8T TXT MSGING

  

How many texts do you think you send? “The number of texts being sent is on the rise, especially among teenagers age 13 to 17. According to Nielsen, the average teenager now sends 3,339 texts per month. There's more, though: teen females send an incredible 4,050 texts per month, while teen males send an average of 2,539 texts. Teens are sending 8% more texts than they were this time last year” (Parr).
       
                 Students are communicating by social media and text messaging in ways we have never seen before. Due to this new trend our classrooms are beginning to be affected. Most instances can be found creeping into the high school classrooms. "64% of teens admitted to using techspeak in their classroom writing assignments" (Knapp).  Slang terms such as IDK (I don’t know) or BTW (by the way) are popping up in formal writing. It has become common to see it at least once a day in a student’s assignment. Due to this the teachers are beginning to become concerned for their students learning when it comes to these grammatical errors.  It seems like texting codes and using slang in papers is a bad habit a student may have and there is much evidence to prove that students’ academic knowledge is taking a toll due to this. The communication skill is far worse than any other time period before, we would rather use texting or social media to communicate rather than being face to face. Text messaging and social media is being used continuously is creating an issue by forcing teachers to be concern for student corruption, dramatically decreasing student’s academic level, and communication skills with others.

             Firstly, teachers are very concerned on the student’s behalf. They believe the student’s do not even realize they are using texting language on their assignments. “It’s acceptable because it’s in their culture. It’s hard enough to teach them the arm of formal writing. Now we’ve got to overcome this new instant messaging language”(Lee).  Younger teachers that are just now beginning to teach believe it is okay to use LOL and other forms of text slang in formal writing. They have faith that as long as students are writing  it is okay and they will learn accordingly.  I personally believe slang should not be placed in formal writing and it is not okay.  The longer students are able to write this way the hard it will be for them to correct their grammar once their schooling has ended. The more experienced teachers look at the texting language and say what in the world is this? Students spend more time texting than they do in the classroom and even sometimes in the classrooms students are texting. As a result this can force teachers to really crack down on their students to not use slang while in formal writing. Teachers have every right to be concerned when students use text slang in formal writings it can greatly harm them later on down the road.

            Furthermore, the student’s academic level is dramatically decreasing. More than ever before on the assignments students turn in all you see is red marks or circles all over the paper. Although the teachers continue to point there informal writing of text slang out students will continue turning in the same abbreviations they where just advised not to do in there formal writings. “It stops being funny after you repeat yourself a couple of times"(Lee). Why is it that students can not break the trend? In my personal opinion I believe it is due to the fact that texting has become such a huge influence in our lives. We are using this form of writing far more than we use formal writing just because the amount of time students spend texting or on social media. Just like the picture points out on the left, as text-speak use increased scores on grammar assessments test decreases(Kharbach). Students do not put much thought into the way their writing have been submitted because the text slang is much more common to them than the formal writing. When a student is reading over their work it is a habit to just know what the abbreviation is saying and they quickly glance over it not even realizing it is an issue. Many of these examples can be found in this YouTube video done by CBS6 News.  http://youtu.be/Zuc6RJXEyec The more text slang becomes involved in students school work the greater likely hood they will score will continue to decrease on grammar assignments. 

             Lastly, as a whole communication has taken a major toll due to the increase of texting, social media, and other forms of none face to face interaction. "It's been said that 93% of communication is non-verbal. Written internet communication removed the use of hand gestures, facial expressions, volume, pitch, and intonation. This is where emoticons step in, allowing online conversation to become easier, more effective, and more natural. The other issue is speed. Even if you are a fast typist, it's likely that you can speak faster than you can type. Internet acronyms like LOL, BRB, and TTYL, as well as other kinds of internet slang and shorthand, make it easier to have rapid-fire conversations while typing" (Fanelli). This form of communication has many affects on us from not being able to understand the full meaning of what someone is trying to say to  the fact that we can now talk to someone without every having a intimate face to face conversation. It is crazy to think about how much communication we do by texting. Just like the picture on the left states we sent 8 trillion text messages in 2011, that is over 15 million per minute. Which is insane to think that number rises every year. Think about how much are communication has already been affected. I can not imagine what a years down the road will look like. Communication has been and will be greatly effected by by texting, social media, and other forms of  none face to face interactions. 

           In my final analysis, it is proven that on average we send thousands of text messages a month, and that number will continue to rise. Texting and social media are playing a role in our students lives like we have never before witnessed. Texting has affected every part of our lives and is even beginning to leak into our school systems. Text slang has put teachers on the edge and looking for answers to fix this issue. Students academic success is decreasing due to the text slang used in formal writings. Lastly, one of the great effect texting and social media have had is on communication and this will likely continue to decrease. Teacher concern, academics suffering, and communication hardships are all a result of the great increase of texting and social media in our society. 

                                                           




                                                                        Works cited

CBS6 Albany, "Language of Texting Entering English Class." Youtube. 26 Feb. 2013 Web. 5 Mar. 2014

Fanelli, Tom. "The Evolution of Human Communication in a Post-Digital Age: Emoticons, Internet Slang, and Texting." Internet Marketing. 10 Feb. 2013 Web. 5 Mar. 2014

Knapp, Andrew. "Does Texting Hurts Your Grammar." OnlineCollege.org. 29 May 2013. Web. 5 Mar. 2014

Kharbach, Med. "The Effects of Texting on Your Grammar" Educational Technology and Mobile Learning. n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.

Lee, Jennifer S. "I Think, Therefore IM" New York Times. 19 Sept. 2002

Parr, Ben. “The Average Text Teenagers Send 3339 Texts Per Month(STATS).” Mashable.        
               14 Oct. 2010. Web. 5 Mar. 2014

Raj, T.V. Antony. "“The Chaos” by Charivarius (Gerard Nolst Trenité): The Classic Concordance of Cacography"  Tag Archives:Communication. 11 Sept. 2013 Web 5 Mar. 2014

 

Rio de Janeiro

Smiling, laughing, and being happy is always present while being out on the beach. A seaside adventure is one of the most popular tourist destinataion. The first thing that catches your eye in this photo is the girl running with excitement into the water. Most beaches remind you of romance which is present in this photo by the couple hugging in the middle. The beach comes with beautiful scenery and as you can see can clearly see the  beautiful skyline, the happiness on their faces, and the breath taking background makes all for a beautiful photograph.  The picture is of the Rio de Janerio beach is one like you have never seen. Excitement, romance, and beautiful scenery make up the amazing culture one will find when going to the this incredible beach.

Firstly, when people even mention the word beach you automatically perk up with excitement. As you can see in the picture the girl is sprinting into the water. It seems that there is no activity going on in the water, and yet she is running full speed with excitement ready to see what the clear water holds. Just by looking at her you can seethe culture of the beach which is to be careless and happy , free of worries and ready to dive into fun. The water represents many different things like cooling off on a hot day, thinking of all the beautiful creatures down below that you would not normally see, and lastly think of all the fun activities you can participate in. The most common activities found in the beach culture are things like swimming and surfing. When you think about all the things the beach has to offer you cannot help but fill the excitement build up inside you, you too will want to run to embrace the water. 

Secondly, when you think of romance on the beach, you visualize a gorgeous sunset and a couple embracing in each other’s arms. The care free attitude of the person along with their lover in their arms is what many people hope and dream of while coming to the beach. Although we all wish to be just like this couple it is pretty rare that this even will actually happen to us. This picture portrays an anomaly because the couple is the only one embracing in the picture. This picture of the couple reminds me of the many weddings and proposals I have seen while vacationing on the beach. The beautiful water and the soft sand make the perfect setting to fall in love with your special someone all over again. Additionally, this beach is not crowded and you do not see a single child. This means it is the perfect secluded area to watch the waves roll onto the shore enjoying the peace and quiet of each other’s company. Romance is one of the major aspects that make up the culture of the beach.

     Additionally, in the picture you can see appearing is the light and darkness in the sky. Dark clouds are beginning to roll over and a storm is coming through. The beach is known for some of the most beautiful scenery in the entire world. Whether you are waking up early to see the majestic sunrise coming over the water or you enjoy a picnic as you wake the sun go down we have all heard of the breath taking view of the beach.
      
    
            Furthermore, in the background you will find buildings and street lights. The buildings represent a set of strands. You can imagine staring out the window and seeing all the different people and types of culture being displayed. The buildings make you realize a street life aspect to the beach. The beach culture is not only in the sand, but outside on the strip as well. Although they are not present on the beach the culture is still the same on the strip. Having the carefree attitude, excitement and happiness will always be apart of their culture.

         Lastly, the culture of the Rio de Janeiro, as seen in this picture, is unlike any other. As stated by Susi O’Neill and Dave Lowe “Beach culture is big in Brazil, and nowhere is it bigger or more impressive than Rio de Janeiro. It’s not just about bathing, it’s a social thing, a chance to meet, socialize and play sports like volley ball, soccer and surfing. Even during the winter and in poor weather, the “cariocas” frequent the promenade. It’s a scene for fashion and trend setting, has progressively tans have got deeper and bikinis smaller and smaller" (Lowe). Socializing is a huge aspect of the beach culture. Whether you are enjoying a nice drink while tanning with a friend or playing a game of volleyball with people you just met, you are expressing the socializing aspect of the beach culture. 

 

          In my final analysis, the beach holds some of the greatest memories of pure joy. Excitement feels the air as someone steps on the beach and runs into the water. The warm embraces of your significant other can make the atmosphere of beach that much more appealing. Even when the fiercest storms roll onto the beach you will still see the miraculous scenery unlike any other. The buildings, streetlights, and out on the strip it all ties into the wonderful culture. Culture at the Rio de Janeiro beach is one that is full of excitement, romance, and a scenery that will stop you in your tracks.

Works Cited

Lowe, Dave, and Susi O'Neill. "Rio De Janeiro Beach Culture" The Official Globe Trekker Website.                    Pilot Productions, n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2014.


Harvey, David. Beach, Rio de Janeiro. Aug. 6, 2013. Photograph. National Geographic.

National Geographic,  Web. 14 February 2014.

 

Paper 1

The atmosphere on the beach is always happiness even if a severe storm is coming soon.