Texting Good for Teens? Or Not?

According to an article by Jeff Elder in the Charlotte Observer, some teachers are looking to text messaging to help students with language skills.  With teens and preteens sending thousands of messages each month, the ideas is to use this tech tool’s power in the classroom.  A study by Larry Rosen at California State University Dominguez Hills found that texting helps teens with informal writing.  Rosen says that it’s rare for students to use “textisms” (computer shortcuts or slang) in school assignments. Using texting in the classroom could put all those cell phones the kids have to positive use. The downsides of using texting in classrooms and for assignments, include: lack of skill transfer to more formal writing such as essays and papers and cell phones as a distraction in the classroom. Some say texting is helpful when it comes to homework, for kids can easily find out from other kids and their texting teachers when assignments are due and what the homework is.  Not connected with school use of texting, but definitely connected with student performance is the fact that texting is affecting students’ sleep. An article in The Seattle Times, “Teens, Texting, and the Sleep Connection” by Jackie Burrell, reports that “teens always have been somewhat sleep-deprived. Now technology is making it worse.”