Is Texting Making Us Bad Writers?

In the article Can Texting Help With Spelling there are many great points that support the use of text messaging instead of arguing against it. In this article is states, "The average American teen, you may not be shocked to discover, texts a lot: 3,339 messages per month, according to a recent Nielsen survey." In most cases when it comes to school the use of text messaging is frowned upon, such as the argument Historian Niall Ferguson gives in an opinion piece in Newsweek. He states, "Teens who text do not read books." Which is not true, but in fact texting helps with students reading, phonology, inventing skills, and historical roots. All these facts help to prove texting is a helpful tool for the average student not only for spelling, but for many other everyday skills.I think texting is improving not only our writing skills, but also their communication skills. In the video Txting is Killing Language. JK! by John McWhorter he explains that texting isn't decreasing our language skill, but creating it's own way of conversation. Texting is kind of a branch off the original language that is spoken. It is also a way to write the way we speak, rather than how we would write in a paper, essay, or letter. Texting is a convenient way of contact. It is just a way to speak to someone, but instead of actually speaking it is written.