Students use IM-speak in essays

[skitch]

Re: Students use IM-speak in essays

:y4:

**** happens.

[Beantown]

Re: Students use IM-speak in essays

Now that I know it annoys you, I will use it non-stop. Laugh out loud.

Didn't say it annoyed me, just said it's a waste of time. Actually makes you even more pathetic, if that is possible.

[The C]

Re: Students use IM-speak in essays

Didn't say it annoyed me, just said it's a waste of time. Actually makes you even more pathetic, if that is possible.

No. No it is not.

Is it bad that I could read the fake Congressional Bill without even stopping?

[roadman]

Re: Students use IM-speak in essays

I read an article in our local paper about 8 months ago or so that said people that im'ed a lot , lowered their IQ 10 pts over time.

I'll see if I can find a link.

I found it pretty quickly.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=320790

[GAMEC0CK2002]

Re: Students use IM-speak in essays

If this is getting into their homework and essays then it's a problem.

If a student can know the difference b/w when and when not to use IM-speak then it's no big deal.

It's really no different than if you use slang or your accent gets more pronounced when you're talking to friends/family. As long as you know when not to use it.

[jmood88]

Re: Students use IM-speak in essays

I read an article in our local paper about 8 months ago or so that said people that im'ed a lot , lowered their IQ 10 pts over time.

I'll see if I can find a link.

I found it pretty quickly.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=320790

That's for adults. It doesn't have the differenece in kids who grew up on instant messaging. And:

"If you spend a lot of time constantly being interrupted at work, your brain will get used to doing that," Gentile said. "You can see the effect on an IQ test, but does that mean your brain is getting dumber or about to fall out just because you're multitasking? No."

[roadman]

Re: Students use IM-speak in essays

That's for adults. It doesn't have the differenece in kids who grew up on instant messaging. And:

Your right, sorry about that, it was an adult survey.

I'm sure children use instant messaging just as much or more than adults, but I can't prove that.

I don't IM and neither does my wife, but our 14 year old daughter makes up for that difference.

If this study proved that adults IQ points went down 10 pts, how many points would children's IQ's go down?

[BGarrett7]

Re: Students use IM-speak in essays

Nope. I don't even use that type of language in my IMs or text messages. I'm a stickler for proper grammar I guess.

Yep, same.

[PdiddyPop]

Re: Students use IM-speak in essays

I only use b4 in like text messages, but I'd never write that mess in a paper. What a bunch of morons we have coming up in the world.

[CMH]

Re: Students use IM-speak in essays

Your right, sorry about that, it was an adult survey.

I'm sure children use instant messaging just as much or more than adults, but I can't prove that.

I don't IM and neither does my wife, but our 14 year old daughter makes up for that difference.

If this study proved that adults IQ points went down 10 pts, how many points would children's IQ's go down?

Would it go down if they grew up on it?

It's not as if the brain is adapting to a new style of reading and writing. A lot of young kids grew up on this new system.

I'd be willing to bet that in their terms they might be getting smarter the more they IM.

It likely causes increases in type speed, formulating principles, and analyzing situations.

I know it sounds ridiculous, but consider what the average teenager goes through in an IM chat. These kids must maintain several conversations in one sitting and they do it with ease. That's a growth in intelligence, even if it isn't in the traditional sense.

[roadman]

Re: Students use IM-speak in essays

Would it go down if they grew up on it?

It's not as if the brain is adapting to a new style of reading and writing. A lot of young kids grew up on this new system.

I'd be willing to bet that in their terms they might be getting smarter the more they IM.

It likely causes increases in type speed, formulating principles, and analyzing situations.

I know it sounds ridiculous, but consider what the average teenager goes through in an IM chat. These kids must maintain several conversations in one sitting and they do it with ease. That's a growth in intelligence, even if it isn't in the traditional sense.

You make some very valid points, no doubt. It's what's out there right now and who knows what we will be communicating with 10 years from now.

I just know talking to some other parents with teenagers, My Space seems evil because of all the media it receives, whatever happened to the landline telephone to talk on(although I debated with one parent it allows the phone to be free) and parents feel that teenagers would rather IM vs hanging at the mall/movies or go out and run around the neighborhood.

I've told some parents at least we know where they are.

[SPTO]

Re: Students use IM-speak in essays

I obviously didn't read the topic but a few things came to mind in general:

1. I think "IM-speak" will become a standard slang or at least quasi official form of english in the next 20 years. There's far too many kids and teenagers who've picked up on the terminology for it to ever go away. That in itself is a little scary which is why....

2. There better be adults in the future who keep formal english alive in some form or another. I know I use IM-speak on MIrc but I have never felt the need to use it elsewhere except to quickly write something like ASAP which has been around a little longer. I just think we owe it to ourselves as a civilization to preserve our language for as long as we can. I'd hate to see a day when proper english is viewed in the same way that Old English is viewed.

3. As for the intelligence of those who use IM-speak a lot I would say that it generally dumbs people down. Children and teens adapt to it quite well and as future generations use it it'll be hardwired into our brains much the same way as typical english or what have you is hardwired into us when we learn our first words. Remember this, IQ tests are a measurement of brain function and such. The youth of today have great intelligence but it's a different one. They're more tactile, yet at the same time very ADD like in their attention spans. They need to keep themselves going and multi-task.

It's definitely a lot different then our parents or us when we were kids.

[thmst30]

Re: Students use IM-speak in essays

Good comparison to the Old English. That could very well be the road we are heading down.

[CMH]

Re: Students use IM-speak in essays

You make some very valid points, no doubt. It's what's out there right now and who knows what we will be communicating with 10 years from now.

I just know talking to some other parents with teenagers, My Space seems evil because of all the media it receives, whatever happened to the landline telephone to talk on(although I debated with one parent it allows the phone to be free) and parents feel that teenagers would rather IM vs hanging at the mall/movies or go out and run around the neighborhood.

I've told some parents at least we know where they are.

I know I rather have my kid (don't have any now so perhaps I'm just naive) talking to his/her friends online than running around the neighborhood.

I hear the "but there's evil people online" argument. But, if my kid isn't running around the neighborhood then how does it really affect them? Outside of that, I'm sure good parenting will thwart any potential threats. Granted, you can't be sure either way, but it's not like running around the neighborhood is safer than posting online.

It's interesting to me that educational systems worry more about the changed habits of children, but corporate America seems to not do much about it.

I guess when kids become better at multi-tasking and organizing events through technology it's hard to fathom why Corporate America would want the total opposite from their future employees.