ACD (Alt, Control, Delete) the Texting Craze
By Genine Morton, Intern from It’s All About Kids
OMG!?!? Do you remember a time when you could spot a teenager without a cell phone glued to their hand? The NielsenWire reported in 2009 that 88% of households had cellular phones.1 With the growing popularity of blogging, social websites (i.e. Twitter, Myspace, Facebook), and the increase in cell phone technologies, our new generation of teenagers and young adults are using these sources as their primary source of communicating with their friends and family. On social websites such as Twitter, there is a character restriction so users must type shortened text and abbreviations for phrases to express themselves. As a result, there has been a growing trend in the use of “texting” and social media language outside these forums.
Many of you may remember the commercial sponsored by Cingular (now AT&T) which showed a young girl getting in trouble with her mother after she discovered the outrageous text message charges on her cell phone bill. The young girl was speaking in “texting” language throughout the entire dialogue with her mother. Although the commercial was amusing, it is slowly developing into a problem that is now affecting professional and academic environments. CareerBuilder.com reported in its “Top 10 Email Mistakes” that using slang in emails ranked #3 on the report. The article further confirms that “what you write is a reflection of your professionalism” and by using abbreviated phrases to communicate your ideas is not a smart move in trying to receive an interview or job offer. In one of my marketing courses at my university a professor had to include in his syllabus that emails containing abbreviated phrases commonly used for SMS would be ignored, deleted, and result in a deduction from the student’s professionalism points in the class. After I read this I thought, “That is so ridiculous! Why would someone send an email using texting slang to a professor?” Yet the better question is why has it progressed to the level that a university professor is forced to punish students for doing something that is obviously unacceptable?
Whatever the case may be, this problem can be avoided by discussing with our children when and where it is appropriate to use abbreviated phrases. Next, we need to encourage our teens to give Facebook a rest and actually open up a book! Literacy is a critical skill that should be continually developed throughout one’s life, and as we all know lack of advanced literacy skills will greatly limit an individual’s options in life. One way to increase your child’s involvement in reading is advising them to volunteer at a local literacy program for children. By your teen helping young children and witnessing their excitement for reading, this may motivate them to add “reading” on their list of hobbies. Another great resource is The Florida Partnership for Family Involvement in Education. They are located on Fletcher Avenue and provide workshops, parent involvement communities, and other educational news. Take the steps to help guide your teenager into becoming prepared for a higher education and career opportunities. TTYL!
It’s All About Kids is committed to providing resources to children and their families who are in need of services that will emphasize education, literacy and social skills character development. Visit our website, www.itsallaboutkids.org, to find out more information about our programs, volunteer information, or sponsorship opportunities.
