Overall, nearly two-thirds of teens (64%) say they incorporate some informal styles from their text-based communications into their writing at school.
Teens are motivated to write by relevant topics, high expectations, an interested audience and opportunities to write creatively.
eens who communicate frequently with friends, and teens who own more technology tools such as computers or cell phones do not write more for school or for themselves than less communicative and less gadget-rich teens.
Most teens feel that additional instruction and focus on writing in school would help improve their writing even further.
verall, 82% of teens feel that additional in-class writing time would improve their writing abilities and 78% feel the same way about their teachers using computer-based writing tools.
All teens write for school, and 93% of teens say they write for their own
pleasure.
Teens generally do not believe that technology negatively
influences the quality of their writing, but they do acknowledge that the
informal styles of writing that mark the use of these text-based technologies
for many teens do occasionally filter into their school work. Overall, nearly
two-thirds of teens (64%) say they incorporate some informal styles from their
text-based communications into their writing at school.
Parents believe that their children write more as teens than they did at that
age.
Teenagers' lives are filled with writing.
At its core, the digital age presents a paradox. Most teenagers
spend a considerable amount of their life composing texts, but they do not think
that a lot of the material they create electronically is real writing. The act
of exchanging emails, instant messages, texts, and social network posts is
communication that carries the same weight to teens as phone calls and
between-class hallway greetings.
At the same time that teens disassociate e-communication with "writing," they
also strongly believe that good writing is a critical skill to achieving success
-- and their parents agree.
While the debate about the relationship between e-communication and formal
writing is on-going, few have systematically talked to teens to see what they
have to say about the state of writing in their lives.
The internet is also a primary source for research done at or for
school. 94% of teens use the internet at least occasionally to do research for
school, and nearly half (48%) report doing so once a week or more often.
Teens believe that the writing instruction they receive in school could
be improved.
Overall, 82% of teens feel that additional in-class writing time
would improve their writing abilities and 78% feel the same way about their
teachers using computer-based writing tools.
47% of black teens write in a journal, compared with 31% of white teens.
37% of black teens write music or lyrics, while 23% of white teens do.
49% of girls keep a journal; 20% of boys do.
26% of boys say they never write for personal enjoyment outside of
school.
Multi-channel teens and gadget owners do not write any
more -- or less --than their counterparts, but bloggers are more
prolific.
"At its core, the digital age presents a paradox. Most teenagers spend a considerable amount of their life composing texts, but they do not think that a lot of the material they create electronically is real writing. "