In case you haven't noticed, kids and young adults are speaking a new language. I'm not sure if it will count as a language requirement when they apply for college, but it does help them communicate with others via instant message programs. And they'll probably continue to use it in college and maybe even in the workforce. I know I do.
If you use instant messaging on your computer, you may be familiar with the acronym LOL (Laughing Out Loud). But what about BRB, TTYL or ROFL? Especially among teenagers, you're just as likely to encounter IM-talk in the real world as you are on your desktop. The phenomenon of written IM slang crossing over into speech. I really feel that if you ask a typical high school student to tell you what an adverb was or the correct use of a hyphen, they would have no clue. But ask them what TTYL means and most hands will raise in the air, eager to ansewer that all to basic question.
Some people worry that all of these shortcuts will prevent today's young people from knowing how to compose a coherent sentence, and I think that's true. I graduated from high school not knowing the correct uses for who and whom, add BTW (by the way) into the mix and you have an entirely new comprehension of words and sentence structures. I've read a number of student papers (my sister teaches freshman English) and many are attempting to shorten their time spent writing by using IM-code. Future professional writers of America better be ready to understand, study, and speak across all genres of text, talk, and type.
I think we will see many changes in the future. Or perhaps, ITWWSMCITF? Lets hope not
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