Texting Is Ruining English Language Essay

As society becomes more technologically advanced, the evolution of texting becomes more routine in the daily life of any middle-class individual. With all the texts that are being sent around, one must wonder whether or not this form of communication is damaging the English language. An intrigued linguist known as John McWhorter set out to uncover the truth about texting, and it turns out he believes that texting is not harming the English language, but is modifying it. He believes that within the two forms of communicating, them being writing and speaking, one is used for more formal and sophisticated language while the other is just everyday chatter. McWhorter believes that texting is a combination of these two forms, where modern writing uses intricate vocabulary and juxtaposing rhetorical devices whereas texting is just the written form of everyday speech. McWhorter's claim could not have been made possible if he did not first explain what texting actually has become. McWhorter notes that when we write, we sophisticate our language in order to sound refined and elegant. He also notes that, as history goes to show, we tend to speak like we write. This is prominent in speeches …show more content…
McWhorter then proceeds to show several different quotes from different eras of history to prove that the claim of "texting is ruining language" is actually just a myth. He shows different quotes from 1956, 1917, 1871, 1841, and even as far back as 63 A.D., and yet they all deliver the same message: bad spelling and misuse of grammar is destroying the natural flow of language. And even after all these years and all these instances where people were worried about their language becoming ruined, the world seems to still be intact. These quotes are deemed logical evidence that language is meant to change and evolve, and the audience is fully aware of this by