FAR from being rbsh, it is actually gr8 for society. Experts believe that new forms of communication such as mobile phone texting, email and instant messaging are helping us stay in touch with each other.
And a new study has shown that far from being a scourge of grammar and correct spelling, users of instant messaging and texting are actually much more likely to use the Queen's English than the abbreviations that annoy purists.
The impact of the a
bbreviated language used in texting, such as U instead of you and 2 instead of to/too, has been such that Scottish schools have even been given guidance from exam chiefs on when pupils may and may not use such expressions in writing.
There were an estimated 30 billion texts sent last year in the UK, and New Year's Eve alone saw Britons send 290 million texts. What started out as a fashion for the young has spread throughout society, with older generations receiving courses to help them get to grips with the new technology.
One leading Scottish expert believes that the ease of modern communication is helping people stay in contact who might otherwise lose touch.
April McMahon, professor of English language at Edinburgh University, said: "There is no doubt that this technology is helping people maintain contact in a way that they would not have in the past.
"Emailing and texting are just so easy and convenient, and you can bash off an email to someone in a few minutes.
"They are causing us to have far more conversation with each other and opening new ways to stay in touch, and we are using them.
"I know that some people are nostalgic for the age of having a scented envelope picked up from the home and being with the recipient by two o'clock that afternoon, but I think most of us value the convenience of email and text messages."
She added: "The debate about the technology's effect on grammar is actually a great opportunity to debate and discuss grammar and the use of language with young people. There is too little chance to do that in the current system."
A new study has shown that purists' concerns about grammar and spelling being killed off by new technology are misplaced.
Research by two linguists at the University of Toronto into the language used on instant messaging (IM) systems found that abbreviations made up only a tiny fraction of the communication and that even younger users were getting most of their grammar right.
IM systems such as MSN have become one of the most popular uses for computers among youngsters, especially girls, who use the systems to have free conversations with each other after school. Users type their comments on to the screen.
The study of more than 1.5 million words of IM conversations found that just 2.44% of all the words used were text language, and almost all the abbreviations referred to laughing, such as "haha," "LOL" (laugh out loud) and "hehe". The study called the frequency of the text language "miniscule."
Sali Tagliamonte, professor of linguistics at Toronto, said: "They are using 'shall' and 'must' in instant messaging like they use 'gotta' and 'I'll' in conversation. They're doing things your grandmother might do, and at the same time they're saying 'LOL'."
She added: "They demonstrate very clearly that their grammatical skills are intact, and they very effectively mix it with other types of language."
Dr Robert Millar, senior lecturer in linguistics at Aberdeen University, said: "Texting and instant messaging are not the first forms of communication to be accused of destroying language and grammar.
"It happened at the time of the telegraph and telegram when many criticised the use of telegram language. Abbreviations like gr8 have been used in language for centuries – there are examples even from the time of Egyptian hieroglyphics."
The full article contains 655 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
