Txting means nvr having 2 say ur srry

Ok. Seriously.

Or perhaps I mean srsli.

Or maybe I just mean WTH???

One of the things I love about Facebook is that I can keep track of the Roo-girl's moods. I can also keep track of some of her friends.

And I truly fear for the future of our country when I see how these kids talk ... er, write ... to each other.

I've complained about text-speak on my blog before. But this exchange really did take it to the ultimate.

Let me first say that Roo is not REALLY the child's name (uh ... duh?). Anyway, her actual name is pretty simple, however it is easily (and chronically) misspelled. So go with me here. This will be important later, I promise.

One of her friends posted a photograph from last spring's eighth grade graduation.

This photo of about 12 kids prompted a flurry of commentary, which I present in similar format to how it appears online.

Friend1 wrote:
aww we're so cutee!

Friend2 wrote:
haha i look so badd

Editor's note: So ... "cutee" and "badd." Right. Moving on ...

Friend3 wrote:
haha its kinda funny how every one me through ru-girl r like so close together and everyone else is jst like off 2 the side

The Roo-girl wrote:
u spelled my name wrong Friend3 ahahah

Friend3 wrote:
srri....roo

Friend3 wrote:
shit i spelled srry rong

Friend3 wrote:
ok.....srry roo

Oh please help me, merciful Father. This is "rong" in so very many ways!!!!

Friend3 thinks he spelled sorry incorrectly by spelling it "srri" instead of "srry" ...

Please remember that I work with language for a living. Spelling, grammar, punctuation -- these things are my world.

And my world? It is about to go flying off its axis if kids these days don't freakin' learn to SPELL!

Sigh. Ok. I'm dun now.

Bi.

Comments

[suburbancorrespondent]

Don't they realize how many extra letters they type by inserting "like" several times into each sentence? And why change the spelling of a word (such as "bad") when the new spelling makes it longer? I thought the point of all the misspellings was to make the words shorter, right?

I wince when I read my daughter's e-mails. I'm a grammar and spelling nazi and a homeschooling mother to boot - so I spent all those years teaching her the proper way to write and spell for nothing?

[suburbancorrespondent]

And why would she care if her name is spelled wrong when she purposely misspells everything else? It's a mystery.

[nikki]

Don't get me started on the amount of people who spell "a lot" "alot". Drives me crazy.

[Eternal Sunshine]

This is hilarious...

I do not understand text speak at all

or should I say txt spk?

LOL

[Miss Anne Derstood]

kidz 2day r 2 kewl.

neway, u r like, 2 die 4.

[Burgh Baby]

Awww, poor Alexis. She will never know all these fun things since I'm keeping her locked in a basement for the next 15 years. Poor kid. Or, is that pore kyd?

[Debbie]

Roflao...2 cutee

[Kaye]

OMG! You should read the blog of my YARM13YOL (you are ruining my 13 year old life) daughter. It is awful.

Under my addictions, Julia MM's Best Friend...

It is worth it.

BTW I read Suburban Correspondent and found your blog...love it!

[karen]

Oh, I'm so with you on this one. Spelling is one of my nazi/phobic areas. And how can you misspell a misspelled word?!

[kaytabug]

U R so funy!

[nicole]

Stuff like that just makes me plain sick.
I had a friend in Kuwait, who wrote sms like that. A British girl. English TEACHER!
Go figure!

(coming from plurkville)

[amyz5]

not to worry. i believe they no how to spell and this is just their 'street' language

i have more of a problem with the education folks who supported whole language when my daughter started school and then realized when she was in second grade that it was a bad idea. it took ten more years to undo that.

[the planet of janet]

amyz5: exactly the problem with my older kids. "kid code" completely destroyed my kids' abilities to spell.

bad school district bad.

[Junebug]

I am not good at reading text code. When I write text messages to my kids I always write out the complete words and even sometimes bother with punctuation marks. I don't enjoy text messaging. It has its place when it's necessary to be silent but not while driving.

[Daisy]

I noticed they spelled "sh**" correctly.

[Rachael]

Geez... I can't stand it, nor can I stand business with wrong spellings like Kwik Mart. Ugh.

[Ilona]

Oooo. Let's start a list of things that irk!

Two that are bugging me these days are people who can't tell the difference between "than" and "then", and the sentences which go like this: "She's the woman that..." It's "who" people, "who"!

But worrying about spelling when you're using text lingo? (Or is that L33T speak?) Too funny!

[Claire]

I think "loose" instead of "lose"
"there/their/they're"
"untill"

Also, when grown adults use multiple exclamation marks several times in an email. Once is maybe forgivable if you're trying to make a point. But really!!!!!! No one can be that excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Robinella]

My friend has a 13yodd and she is complaining that said dd has forgotten how to talk! She leaves out words or talks "text". GAHHH

[Stacy]

As a mom of 2 college students who text or IM more than they actually talk on the phone; text code does not negate their spelling abilities. They do still have to spell and speak correctly in school. And as they get older it becomes the almost sole way of communicating. They can answer a text and no one knows that "mom" called. It comes in handy when you want to know if they are on their way home or if they arrived at their destination safely. I have embraced it and text and IM mine all the time. I think they appreciate the effort to relate on their terms.