Texting and the Death of Language

The older generations speak of the dumbing down of our generation (the Millennials) and how we are getting lazy. There are books published about the subject and how we are hopeless as a whole generation. Often it is pointed out that our reliance on technology is more of a hindrance than a positive tool.

As linguists claim that we have a poor grasp of the English language due to growing up with IM and text messaging, Geoff Nunberg (a teacher at CAL and linguist on Fresh Air) has a different opinion.

Take 5 minutes out of your day and listen to his essay "Teens, Tech, and Language: A Tired Old Tale Retold" where he parallels the introduction of the new communication technologies with the introduction of the telegraph. His insightful opinion and historical context might have people on both sides of the argument looking at the (non)issue in a new light as he not only defends our generation, but the English language as well.