Who’s to Blame IM, Text Messaging or Spell Check? High School and College Students have become addicted to a horrible drug. This drug has become an epidemic so much, teachers at all grade levels are aware and they are attempting to intervene. Students are unable to use proper grammar since they have become dependent on technology. The websites that assist students with spelling and grammar checks have become their enablers. Who’s to Blame IM, Text Messaging or Spell Check?
Reading emails on a daily basis is part of my day. On numerous occasions I have read an email and pushed my chair back from the desk in awe. I often wonder where and when the sender was born and raised or even if the graduated high school. One thing I have learned from my experiences is, even in a profession such as the military using incorrect grammar can determine success or failure.
The article “99.9% of Proper Grammar is Obsolete” published by David Wertheimer, he states that 99% of the grammar individuals type is obsolete. The ironic part is those users do not know that their grammar is obsolete. Proper grammar can be learned but the user must understand the importance of using proper grammar. Grammar errors may seem small and unimportant but when the same error continues to occur it can become an issue or even embarrassing.
People that are able to use, subject-verb agreement, and full-length words on a regular basis intimidate some individuals. On occasions individuals that are able to use proper grammar are labeled as being preppy or nerdy. It seems as if it is a lot easier for a person to type, text, or speak gibberish instead of attempting to do those same tasks using correct English.
There is a reluctance amongst educators to admit or ask the inevitable question; has technology made people lazy or just ignorant? The author of 99.9% of Grammar is Obsolete David Wertheimer states in a sarcastic way; “Obviously, stopping to capitalize or punctuate squanders a writer's time at a cost even the most proactive typist may be at a loss to calculate”. It is easier for writers to type away without using capital letters, proper punctuation or formal sentence structures.
Your typed documents are a representation of you, so why not take the time to represent yourself in great fashion. When applying for jobs online, at times there is a written portion of the application that is mandatory. If correct grammar is not used the employer may have no idea what you are talking about and discard your application. Correct grammar will help a person say exactly what they want to say. Not being able to use correct grammar will determine your employment status if the employer discards your application, due to grammatical errors.
Another statement that David Wertheimer makes is; “The bigger the message and the greater its urgency, the easier it is to condense and simplify words and sentences.” Example of that is OMG call me ASAP. It doesn’t seem that difficult to go ahead and type the entire statement “Oh my good call me ASAP” but for some realistically it is. It is puzzling figuring out the actual meaning when the individual using the abbreviation might mean something totally different than what is interpreted.
A simple misuse or spelling of a word can have negative results. Dan Quayle vice President to President George H. Bush can agree with that statement. Americans rarely remembers the names of vice Presidents, well Dan Quale is remembered a misspelling of a word. He misspelled the word “potato” during a spelling bee in Trenton,
