When students are not aware of the requirements for formal written language, ‘texting language’ can make itself present, and this poses a major issue. Many times, teachers will read their students’ assignments and are unable to comprehend what students have written, simply because the assignment is written in text language.

Studies have shown that areas of students with low-socioeconomic status are more likely to be influenced by ‘texting language’ in their writing.

Check out these findings from Docmail’s study: Two thirds of those surveyed said if they do write something on paper, it’s usually something only they will see, such as a note or reminder. More than half said they don’t take pride in their handwriting. One in five can’t remember the last time they were required to write something neatly. Over half said the quality of their handwriting has noticeably declined, with one in seven being “very ashamed” of it. Nearly half (44%) said their handwriting isn’t easy to read and a third said they often struggle to read their own writing. Even so, remarkably a sixth of those surveyed don’t believe handwriting should still be taught in schools.

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.

When you are constantly using abbreviations and slang in texts and online chats, it is hard to remember to use proper grammar when writing formal emails, letters or papers.  Technology can also harm our communication skills at work and in school.  It may be degrading our ability to speak publicly and write formally.  Think of how many professors or bosses have probably received a "cuz," "l8ter" or "cya" in an email.