Without a doubt, technology is continually infecting every facet of student life. From never being out of touch, to always being in the know. Facebook, Twitter, texting and all the in-betweens have given way to not only a new lifestyle but a new language to go with it. 
Some say the constant simplifying and fragmenting of words and sentences in cyber space is forever altering the model of English that William Wordsworth and Mark Twain created. However, on campus, differing perspectives among teachers and students reveal that there are technological pros to combat the cons.
Daniel White, English instructor at Mississippi State University, said he thinks technology is changing English, but this does not necessarily mean language use will get worse.
“People are irrationally afraid; language is meant to change,” he said. “(It is) a very natural thing that should be occurring.”
 
White said technology has created changes in writing so quickly that the formal rules of grammar and sentence structure cannot change rapidly enough to accommodate these modifications.
He said he is required to grade by the formal rules of language, which is problematic for students who break these rules often by using abbreviations.
He said he has seen students use “u” instead of “you” in their writing.
“I can see the prevalence of texting in their essays. It does show up,” White said.
Although he said he does think texting and social media affect grammar negatively, Twitter’s 140-character limit per tweet teaches students concision when expressing their ideas.
White said this concision that Twitter requires is vital to achieving clarity and meaning in any type of writing.  
Haley Allen, freshman mechanical engineering major, said she agrees with White.
Allen said she thinks texting, Facebook and Twitter have produced a dialect of the English language that is certainly different, but changes have always been a reality in language. She said technology has hastened these changes in language and made them more visible.
“We don’t speak the way that Shakespeare wrote. I guess if you look at it that way then it’s been getting worse for a long time,” she said.
Kathryn Wynn, freshman biological sciences major, said technology is hurting language.
Wynn said the casual way people express their thoughts over Facebook or in blogs makes it difficult to write formally for assignments.
“When writing papers, we’re more used to typing out our thoughts that it makes our papers more informal,” she said. “It’s definitely hard for me to be formal.”
Patrick Creevy, English professor at MSU, said he thinks technology should improve language.
“I would love to think that it makes a difference for the better because you guys are constantly writing,” he said. “It’s an opportunity for incredible improvement in writing.”
Creevy said he does not see technology negatively affecting his students’ writing.
He said technology has a neutral influence on students.
“I certainly don’t think it’s hurt, and that’s made my job easier,” he said.
He said the root of students’ errors when writing is a failure on a basic level to teach children proper grammar.
“It goes back to grammar school and high school,” he said. “That’s where the problem lies, not with telephones or computers.”
Creevy said he is positive that texting motivates students to be creative in their writing.
“The thing about texting that I like is it holds an obligation to be witty,” he said. “It is a great writing pressure. I find that to be an everyday writing assignment.”
When asked how he thought technology will affect future generations of students, Creevy smiled.
“It could all be for the good, it could be great,” he said.