Text messaging is not “writing,” teens say

Teens write a lot, but they do not think of their emails, instant messages, and text messages as writing. This disconnect matters because teens believe good writing is an essential skill for success and that more writing instruction at school would help them. The Pew Internet & American Life Project released a report titled Writing, Technology, and Teens in April 2008. According to the report, 85 percent of teens ages 12-17 engage at least occasionally in some form of electronic personal communication. Teens generally do not believe that technology negatively influences the quality of their writing, but they do acknowledge that the informal styles of writing that mark the use of these text-based technologies for many teens do occasionally filter into their school work. View the entire report on The Pew Internet & American Life Project website.