A main problem I notice when I write essays on my laptop, is all of the distractions that come along with using the computer. I have music and internet at my fingertips and this can dramatically change the quality of writing.

The downside to becoming so used to the computer working for you is when the computer misses your mistakes. The word processing software is not perfect and often misses mistakes that we over look and assume have been corrected.

Because of technology my writing has gotten more informal and it's easier to write in a personal or informal tone. Because I use technology so much to communicate to friends and family it is sometimes difficult to transition to scholarly and formal writing styles.

According to a recent report from Pew Internet and American Life Project, "Writing, Technology and Teens," the vast amount of cell phone text-based abbreviated communications teens use is showing up in more formal writing.

Out of 700 youth aged 12-17 who participated in the phone survey, 60 percent say they don't consider electronic communications - e-mail, instant messaging, mobile text - to be writing in the formal sense; 63 percent say it has no impact on the writing they do for school and 64 percent report inadvertently using some form of shorthand common to electronic text, including emotions, incorrect grammar or punctuation.

"I work at the school's writing center and I would suspect that some of the mistakes I see in writing assignments are text related

All this technology is not only affecting the quality of our handwriting, it’s hurting our ability to spell, as well. Four in ten of those surveyed said they increasingly rely on predictive text, which is when your mobile device finishes a word you start to input.

Even worse, people are starting to use “text talk” outside of texting. I have a friend on a certain social network who sends me messages such as “U should come dancing with Caitlyn n I some night.”