We are always hearing that this generation's writing skills have deteriorated with their reliance on technology -- reliance on spell check, using texting or IM shorthand in more formal writing or communication, and of course the death of penmanship. On penmanship, I feel like technology has saved many of us who never had good penmanship (mine will always be "bubbly") from a lifetime of embarrassment (as well as having given kids with learning disabilities who may have poor penmanship confidence they didn't have before). Pew just released its latest research focusing on teens, technology and writing. Here are the summary findings:

While teens are heavily embedded in a tech-rich world and craft a significant amount of electronic text, they see a fundamental distinction between their electronic social communications and the more formal writing they do for school or for personal reasons.

- 87% of youth ages 12-17 engage at least occasionally in some form of electronic personal communication, which includes text messaging, sending email or instant messages, or posting comments on social networking sites (I would think this would be more like 100 percent)

- 60% of teens do not think of these electronic texts as "writing."

Teens are utilitarian in their approach to technology and writing, using both computers and longhand depending on circumstances. Their use of computers for school and personal writing is often tied to the convenience of being able to edit easily. And while they do not think their use of computers or their text-based communications with friends influences their formal writing, many do admit that the informal styles that characterize their e-communications do occasionally bleed into their schoolwork.

- 57% of teens say they revise and edit more when they write using a computer.

- 63% of teens say using computers to write makes no difference in the quality of the writing they produce.

- 73% of teens say their personal electronic communications (email, IM, text messaging) have no impact on the writing they do for school, and 77% said they have no impact on the writing they do for themselves.

- 64% of teens admit that they incorporate, often accidentally, at least some informal writing styles used in personal electronic communication into their writing for school. (Some 25% have used emoticons in their school writing; 50% have used informal punctuation and grammar; 38% have used text shortcuts such as "LOL" meaning "laugh out loud.")

Eight in ten parents believe that good writing skills are more important now than they were 20 years ago, and 86% of teens believe that good writing ability is an important component of guaranteeing success later in life.

I love that 73 percent of teens believe their informal communications don't impact their writing yet 64 percent admit that they do. To me this research should remind parents, educators and employers to emphasize to teens that they need to be careful about these "slips." They will impact grades and the perceived level of professionalism on the job. It's a teachable moment.

Update: Here's the AP story.

Posted by anastasia