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The language of texting: the new language of a digital nation

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The language of texting: the new language of a digital nation

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THE LANGUAGE OF TEXTING:

THE NEW LANGUAGE OF A DIGITAL NATION

by

Cater Lee Swartzlander
________________________________________________________________________

A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(SPECIALIZED JOURNALISM)

August 2010

Copyright 2010 Cater Lee Swartzlander

Epigraph

“Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you
bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what
happens.”
- Kahlil Gibran, writer/philosopher

ii
Dedication

I dedicate this Master’s project to my two daughters, Megan and Claire, digital natives
who embrace life, friendship and family with great humor and passion.

iii
Table of Contents

Epigraph ii
Dedication iii
List of Tables v
Abstract vi
Introduction: My Inspiration 6
Bibliography 26
Appendices
Appendix A – Long-Form Website Post: Mobile Voices 28
Appendix B – Long-Form Website Post: Bridging the Digital Divide 32

iv
List of Figures

Figure 1: Google Map “Beautiful and Haunting” 21
Figure 2: Top Five Mobile Phone Vendors in the Third Quarter of 2008 23

v
Abstract
It’s a language that has swept our world like a tsunami, in less than a decade. The
language of text messaging, using an instant, abbreviated format to send a message, has
eclipsed talking on the telephone as the primary way teenagers communicate. Around the
globe, millions of people are expressing themselves multiple times a day in 140-160
characters or less. Many of the fears and lamentations surrounding this new language are
valid. What it is doing to human interaction, safety, writing skills? This project,
Textandtweet.com, is an aggregate website that features original, in-depth reporting and
analysis, blogs, and links to information that focus on the issues surrounding new media
in relation to youth and education. From social responsibility, to politics, education, and
new technology, this site is focused on creating a resource for individuals and
organizations interested in the positive applications of text messaging.

vi
6
Introduction: My Inspiration

Me: hi hon wats up w u today

Megan: nm u

Me: working – is your hw dun

Megan: ya I have vb

Me: ok gud luk luv u xoxo

Megan: ily 2 h&k ttyl g2g bi

The above is a real text message interchange between me and my 14-year old
daughter, Megan. In case it’s a bit cryptic, the translated version explains that not much
is going on, but she did get her homework done, and she has a volleyball match after
school. I wished her good luck and told her I loved her, to which she reciprocated, sent
hugs and kisses and told me she would talk to me later because she had to go (probably
because she was texting me back in class, where cell phones are expressly forbidden).
Why wouldn’t I just call her cell phone and engage her in conversation? The truth is she
is much easier to reach and engage by texting.
I, like most parents, am a bit conflicted on this new language of texting. I am
certainly not a “digital native,” which describes the generation (my daughter included)
that was born in this digital era. I am what has been described as a “digital immigrant,”
eager to embrace the technology for my own purposes, as well as to communicate with
my children.
As a baby boomer, I am certainly not as well-versed in the lexicons of texting. My
daughter marvels at the fact that I still text my friends and peers in complete words and
7
sentences. After initially rejecting the idea of texting as impersonal, I have actually come
to understand and appreciate the appeal of this instant form of communication. In the
multi-tasking world in which we live, it is often faster and easier to fire off a quick text
message than to have to pick up the phone, engage in small talk, and carry on a lengthy
conversation. “Wireless phones and text messaging have become a central force in the
way tweens and teens connect with one another,” said Dr. Ruth Peters. “Kids want to
communicate – but on their terms. Parents who are in vogue with the text messaging
trend can stay in better touch with their kids and connect with them on their level and in a
more meaningful way.”
1

As with any habit, some teenagers fall prey to extreme tendencies. An article in the
Orange County Register raised eyebrows when reporter Greg Hardesty wrote a column
about his daughter’s obsessive texting. Hardesty’s article from January, 2009, outlined
his shock at receiving a 440-page phone bill and discovering that his 13-year-old
daughter Reina had sent and received more than 14,000 texts in one month. Hardesty
said, “Assuming my daughter slept an average of eight hours during the billing period
(she usually sleeps more), that works out to 484 text messages a day — or a text message
every two minutes she was awake.”
2

Even though Reina’s usage far outweighed that of the average teenager, the Nielsen
study found that teenagers ages 13-17 text more than any other demographic group. The
report states that “the average number of texts has gone up 566 percent in just two years,
far surpassing the average number of calls, which has remained nearly steady.”
3

1
http://www2.prnewswire.com/mnr/cingular/25194/
2
http://www.ocregister.com/news/text-185518-phone-texting.html?pic=6
3
“How Teens Use Media,” Nielsen, 2008-09
8
As a journalist who has spent more than 20 years in the television news business, it is
shocking to see how quickly digital technology has revolutionized the profession.
Mobile technology has become critical to journalists, as we find new sources, new
information, new ways to communicate over the internet, through social networking, and
with texting and tweeting. My specialty as a television news journalist has been the
education beat, and I see exciting stories and opportunities for the use of mobile
technology in the classroom.
Given my passions for parenting, education, and journalism, I came up with the
concept for an aggregate website called Textandtweet.com. It is designed to be a one-
stop shop for the latest news articles, podcasts, videos and blog posts on anything related
to text messaging. I hope it would be an educational resource for digital immigrants just
like me. That includes parents, educators, and adults of all ages.

9

The Language of Texting

Take away a teenager’s cell phone, and it may be removing part of their brain. Even
though the language of texting has been around less than a decade, it has created a
tsunami of anxiety, excitement, paranoia, enthusiasm, fear and fascination that separates
two generations. In a single week, an average teenager sends about 200 text messages a
day at approximately 10 words per text which adds up to 2,000 words per day.
4
At 2,000
words per day times 7 days a week, that adds up to about 14,000 words a week. That is
the equivalent to writing a 50-page essay every week. Granted, many of the words are
abbreviated or spelled incorrectly, which makes English teachers squirm. However, one
has to acknowledge the language of text messaging, which most “digital natives”
(children born into this digital age) are well-versed in. Despite the fact that most
educators have strict policies banning mobile devices in the classroom, it is important to
note that there could be educational value in text messaging. At a time when many
public schools are failing to produce successful students, it is critical to explore the uses
of digital technology, and how that might motivate kids to learn better.
The youth of today do not remember a time there were no computers and cell phones.
The adults of this generation did not grow up with these electronic conveniences,
therefore many of them see only the disadvantages. Whether people like it or not, text
messaging is now part of our culture and daily communications. The question is, are cell
phones ruining the way students write? Or should teachers embrace texting as a teaching
tool?

4
http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Teens-and-Mobile-Phones/Chapter-2/The-typical-American-teen-
who-texts-sends-1500-texts-a-month.aspx?r=1
10
Many American schools issue strict policies banning cell phones, and make text
messaging in class a punishable offense. Many teachers believe that while it is important
to keep up writing skills, the constant habit of abbreviating and misspelling words in a
text message can actually hurt a student’s writing abilities. On the other hand, texting
can actually be advantageous for learning. It expands the way that students think because
they have to edit what they are trying to say, in order to fit ideas into a 160-character text.
It forces kids to choose their words carefully and makes them think even harder about the
message they are trying to convey. Academic research has recently shown the great
potential of incorporating text messaging into lesson plans. Smart phones and mobile
devices have computing power that can be valuable for student research and
communication. If teachers would encourage students to write in a format in which they
are comfortable and familiar, they might be surprised at the positive results.
In April of 2010, the Pew Research Center released a study that shows the dramatic
increase in the use of text messaging. The study found that “one in three teens sends
more than 100 text messages a day, or 3000 texts a month.”
5
It is no wonder that the
language of texting is showing up in students’ writing styles. A different study conducted
in 2009 by the Pew Internet and American Life Project titled “Writing Technology and
Teens”
6
looked specifically at how text-based communications are affecting
electronically-immersed students. According to the report, the shorthand style that
teenagers send in text messages does show up in proper writing. The survey was made
up of 700 teenagers ranging from ages 12 to 17. Although sixty percent of the teens that
were polled say they don’t consider electronic communications, as in e-mails, instant

5
http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Teens-and-Mobile-Phones/Chapter-2/The-typical-American-teen-
who-texts-sends-1500-texts-a-month.aspx?r=1
6
http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2008/Writing-Technology-and-Teens.aspx
11
messaging, or texts to be writing in the formal sense, they did acknowledge that some of
the abbreviations they use in text messages show up in their school assignments. It is
easy to get accustomed to writing short, brief sentences that don’t include complicated
words or proper grammar. But isn’t it just as important that teenagers are able to express
themselves freely in creative writing?
BBC British broadcaster John Humphrys wrote a rant for the “Mail Online” about
texting, where he said that texting teens are “vandals who are doing to our language what
Genghis Khan did to his neighbors 800 years ago. They are destroying it: pillaging our
punctuation; savaging our sentences; raping our vocabulary. And they must be stopped.”
7

Other educators have also expressed fear that “text-speak” will have disastrous
consequences for writing, including Professor John Sutherland of University College
London, who criticized the slang language used in texting as “bleak, bald, sad
shorthand…it masks dyslexia, poor spelling and mental laziness…penmanship for
illiterates.”
8
This seems like a very old school way of thinking in a digital age where
instant communication is the norm. There has never been more information at our
fingertips to educate us on a global scale, and it gives us the opportunity to respond
instantly to a crisis like the earthquake in Haiti. If it weren’t for the text messages that
the Haiti earthquake victims were sending from the disaster zone, it would have taken
much longer to get help to the people in need.
It is still a valid point that teenagers need to be able to demonstrate the ability to do
long-form writing in proper English, but the hysteria over the dire consequences it may
be having on teenage writing seems to be more hype than reality. Texting could never

7
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-483511/I-h8-txt-msgs-How-texting-wrecking-language.html
8
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/jul/05/saturdayreviewsfeatres.guardianreview
12
replace the literary value of novels, magazines, newspapers and essays. Just as many
people feared that technological advances, like radio and television, would replace
reading, or that the telephone would replace writing, the use of mobile devices is just
another form of communication and entertainment. In the past 25 years, research actually
shows that American sixteen year olds’ writing abilities have improved tremendously.
According to a study conducted by Alf Massey, head of evaluation and validation at
Cambridge Assessment (a department of Cambridge University) students all over the
United States are testing higher in the writing category and the quality of their writing has
greatly increased. The two year study took thousands of sample writing examinations
from 1980, 1993, 1994, and 2004. Alf Massey declared, “The quality of many features of
writing by school leavers (a British term for graduates) has improved over the past
decade.” He found that students are using more complex sentence structures, punctuation
and a wider range of vocabulary.
9

It is true that the Cambridge University research also found that students today are
much more likely to use a less formal version of the English language, as opposed to 25
years ago. To type faster, teenagers often abbreviate words. Teenagers substitute words
for abbreviations such as ‘l8r’ for ‘later’, ‘2’ for ‘to’ or ‘too’, ‘LOL’ for ‘laugh out loud’
and ‘u’ instead of ‘you’. There is no doubt that the increased use of abbreviations can be
correlated to the proliferation of text messaging. But that is not necessarily a negative
effect, based on academic studies.
Researchers at California State University found positive proof that texting can
actually enhance teens’ writing in informal essays, allowing students to show
understanding in different contexts. One quote from the CSU reports declares that

9
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article584810.ece
13
“Texting-speak is not a mangled form of English that is degrading proper language but
instead a kind of ‘pidgin’ language all its own that actually stretches teens’ language
skills.”
10
When teenagers text, they are able to put emotions and thoughts in writing
without constantly worrying about making it perfect. It allows the freedom to show one’s
authentic self not only through the written words, but in the style one chooses to use.
Linguistics professor David Crystal asserts that texting can actually help rather than
hinder literacy among students. He says, “Texting has added a new dimension to
language use, but its long-term impact is negligible. It is not a disaster.”
11
In linguistics
terminology, he says that texters know they need to be understood in “standard
orthography,” and actually break very few rules when it comes to conventional spelling
and punctuation. He also points out that sending out a trillion text messages a year (as
teenagers do) adds up to a great deal of writing. This reinforces the point that maybe
more communication in any form can yield positive results.
Recent ongoing studies at the University of Coventry of eight to twelve year olds have
shown that text-based communication is an improvement in student’s literacy as opposed
to a threat to their writing skills. The researchers say that the language of texting needs a
certain awareness of how different sounds relate to standard English and it’s surprising to
see the connection between literacy and text messaging. When typing a text message,
one would need to same sense of “phonological awareness” to acquire the correct
spelling and punctuation. Dr. Clare Wood, reader in developmental psychology and part
of the research project at the University of Coventry stated, “If we are seeing a decline in
literacy standards among young children, it is in spite of text messaging, not because of

10
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/on-education/2009/10/29/could-texting-be-good-for-students.html
11
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/jul/05/saturdayreviewsfeatres.guardianreview
14
it.” According to the study at the University of Coventry, concerns that children exposed
to the texting community are unhealthy and in danger of becoming more illiterate is
unwarranted.
12

As futurist and education expert Marc Prensky points out in his report “What Can You
Learn From A Cell Phone? Almost Anything!” there is a global advantage to using the
“pockets of potential” that most students are carrying around. Prensky, who coined the
term “digital native,” found that while American students are generally restricted from
cell phone use in school, other countries are using them throughout the school day. He
found that “millions of students in China and Japan, the Phillipines, and Germany are
using their mobile phones (respectively), to learn English; to study math, health and
spelling; and to access live and archived university lectures.”
13
How amazing it would be
to be able to take out a smart phone and look up a fact or download programs or photos
that could be shared in a classroom. That’s exactly how teenagers are communicating
outside the class, by collaborating, linking and sharing what they find funny, interesting
and exciting.
Why then, are American educators opposed to allowing students to incorporate text
messaging into their learning experience? The primary reason seems to be fear that
students will misuse and abuse the privilege. School District Superintendent Gaylen
Smyer of Cassia County, Idaho said, “With all that technology at our fingertips
sometimes people are making poor decisions and choices and are using it
inappropriately.”
14
Those opposed to cell phone use cite instances of cyber bullying,

12
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/8468351.stm
13
http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky-What_Can_You_Learn_From_a_Cell_Phone-FINAL.pdf
14
http://www.magicvalley.com/news/local/article_9b9a1c8c-e290-54aa-925d-f84a0e12ace5.html
15
sending sexual or inappropriate text messages, and cheating as reasons that the devices
should be limited or prohibited.
While it is true that any advance in technology can be misused and abused, it is up to
educators and students to work together to determine reasonable policies and rules.
Wiregrass High School in Florida has integrated cell phones into the classroom by
allowing students to ask teachers questions and exchange answers. The students also
trade classroom notes, check teacher blogs and take photos of the notes on the blackboard
to study later. The high school principal says that there have been a “miniscule” number
of offenses because the students are allowed to use their cell phones for social purposes
between classes, so they tend to focus on the tasks at hand in class.
15
Teachers who
allow students to communicate freely might see higher levels of productivity and
engagement because they would feel empowered instead of restricted.
Text messaging could be viewed as a supplemental form of communication, a boon to
reaching busy teenagers in a time-constrained world. In research conducted by the Pew
Center, one teenager commented, “I don’t think that texting harms our communication
skills. It enables us to communicate more. A long time ago before there were phones,
people were rarely able to communicate with people. Only a few times a day like in the
morning and in the night were you able to have any kind of communication. Now we also
have a face to face communication, and we also have communication through the phone.
I think we are evolving and learning how to communicate in more ways.” The Pew
report included other enlightening quotes from some of the students regarding their text
message habits. One high school girl from the Southwestern U.S. said, “I put in 20 hours

15
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/some-tampa-bay-high-schools-allow-cell-phones-to-be-
used-in-class/1041399
16
per week plus texting. I can’t even count because I mean it’s not like you’re spending a
continuous hour writing/texting. It’s just like text, text, text while you’re doing other
stuff.”
16

While critics may see that kind of obsession with instant messaging as negative, others
see this constant communication as vital to teens in terms of building communities and
maintaining relationships. Australian researchers Frank Vetere, Steve Howard, and
Martin R. Gibbs have labeled these casual, short mobile conversations as “phatic
interactions.” While the messages are not necessarily intended to be informative, they
are meant to sustain a socialibility between people. Phatic interactions, according to
Vetere, Howard and Gibbs, “maintain and strengthen existing relationships in order to
facilitate further communication.”
17

This could be considered “social capital,” according to S. Craig Watkins, author of
“The Young and the Digital.” Watkins maintains that the intense connections to
technology using digital media does not mean that today’s youth are “transforming into
social recluses or heartless machines.”
18
Instead of threatening community, Watkins says
teenagers and young adults are simply using new media to build social and communal
experiences.
The fear among adults that this always-connected, always-on digital media
environment is distracting and impersonal, might be viewed another way. There is no
doubt that young people are constantly multitasking, communicating with several

16
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1572/teens-cell-phones-text-messages
17
Vetere, Frank, Steve Howard and Martin R. Gibbs. “Phatic Technologies: Sustaining Sociability
through Ubiquitous Computing.” Proceedings of ACM CHI 2005 Conference on Human Factors
in Computing Systems. April 2005.

18
Watkins, S. Craig. “The Young and The Digital.” Boston: Beacon Press, 2009.
17
electronic devices or sites on at once. The senior editor of the New Atlantis, Christine
Rosen, writes, “When we talk about multitasking, we are really talking about attention:
the art of paying attention, the ability to shift our attention, and more broadly, to exercise
judgment about what objects are worthy of our attention.”
19
In the classroom, does it
really matter if a student is present if they are not paying attention to the material being
taught? If students could utilize those multitasking skills while learning, to share or
research information, perhaps they could actually achieve greater success in staying
focused and on task.
Imagine a world where students are allowed to use every learning tool available to
them. Digital natives have no fear of technology and are attracted to new ways of
adapting technology into their world. Can mobile devices be disruptive and used
inappropriately? That can absolutely be true, if proper boundaries are not put in place.
Instead of fretting over all the downsides to new media, there is reason to be excited
about the potential for innovation and education that comes with new media. Perhaps if
students and teachers join forces to find the ways that the language of text messaging
could be useful, it could create an exciting transformation in education and inspire a new
generation of learners.

19
Rosen, Christine. “The Myth of Multi-tasking” New Atlantis. No. 20, Spring 2008.

18
A Multimedia Website (http://www.textandtweet.com)
Texting has surpassed talking, as the preferred language of our youth. And because of
social media networks like Twitter and Facebook, people of all ages are communicating
in a whole new, abbreviated, instantaneous dialogue. How do we harness the power of
this new language, encourage mobile learning, connect globally, understand the
advantages and disadvantages of this new way of communicating?
As a parent and a journalist, I believe it is vital to equip ambivalent adults with the
tools they need to navigate the digital landscape with children and teenagers. I came up
with an aggregate website called Textandtweet.com. It features original blog posts, links
to news articles, books and organizations that focus on text messaging and social media.
It also features original multimedia reports that I have produced on subjects related to text
messaging, tweeting, and social networking. I plan to use the website as a promotional
tool for radio, television, speaking engagements and articles that I write on the subject.
I have identified four primary goals in creating Textandtweet.com:
1) Information – in one day, a Google search of the word “texting” produced more than
six thousand news articles relating to the subject. On a daily basis, I would curate and
identify the most up-to-date, relevant, newsworthy and reliable items.
2) Community – Text messaging has become an exciting way to connect communities,
especially in lower-income, marginalized populations. I recently produced a video
package on Mobile Voices, an organization that encourages Spanish-speaking immigrants
to report on their unique issues and stories, using cell phones for texting and photos.
These are the kinds of stories that would be featured daily on Textandtweet.com.
19
4) Social Responsibility – Texting and driving is an enormous safety issue that is
currently being addressed on Capitol Hill and among state legislators throughout
the country. The Department of Transportation shared data in 2010 that
underscored the safety threat as more motorists stay connected with cell phones
and mobile devices. Nearly 6,000 people were killed last year in vehicle crashes
connected to driver distraction.
20

That includes the horrific commuter train crash in 2008 in Los Angeles where 25
people were killed and 135 injured. The accident occurred when a Metrolink train
operator failed to obey a stop signal because he was text messaging on a cell phone and
crashed into a freight train.
To combat this trend, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood called for decisive action,
saying, “We need a combination of strong laws, tough enforcement and ongoing public
education to make a difference.” He further stressed that “in reality, you can’t legislate
behavior. Taking personal responsibility for our actions is the key to the solution.”
Textandtweet.com would feature PSA’s, safety campaigns, statistics and other tools
for prevention. The goal would be to allow collaborative personal responsibility in
creating a message that would actually inspire public safety.
4) Education – There is a great deal of research being conducted on the value of
using mobile devices in the classroom. I would focus a portion of the site on
highlighting educational uses of texting, and encourage educators to display
classwork on the site.

20
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Travel/transportation-secretary-ray-lahood-kick-off-distracted-
driving/story?id=8705485
20
One like-minded blogger called “The Innovative Educator”
21
suggests 10 ideas for
using cell phones in education:
1. Student reponse polling or pop quizzes
2. Using text messaging to find definitions, currency conversion, math equations
3. Use as an internet browser to access endless information
4. Research
5. Read news articles and current events
6. Read books
7. Download education programs such as Google Maps
8. Use as digital or video camera to accompany school projects
9. Educate students on appropriate and acceptable social use of texting
10. Use voice technology to share engaging lectures or lessons
One of the more exciting and positive movements born of this digital revolution we are
now experiencing is called e-literature. Electronic literature highlights multimedia
applications in regard to creative writing. A USC professor in the Interactive Multimedia
Lab showed a number of e-lit works during class, and it inspired me to create a Google
map based on text messages. I sent every one of my classmates a text message with the
writing prompt: “Beautiful yet haunting...can be place, event, person What comes to
mind? Pls reply in a text msg and be creative also where r u from? Thank u, cater”
The responses were wildly different, ranging from insane asylums in Utica, New York
to a Shostakovich cello concerto. By using text messages, I have created e-literature, a
tapestry of small essays on a Google map. The results can be seen here:

21
http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2008/05/value-of-using-cell-phones-to-enhance.html

21
Figure 1: Google Map “Beautiful and Haunting”
22

Here are some other staggering statistics:
 There are nearly two cell phones in existence for every three people on earth.
 While it may seem that text messaging is a very narrow niche, there are billions of
consumers are affected by this technology. A national survey conducted in 2008
by CTIA and Harris Interactive found that nearly half (47%) of US teens say their
social life would end or be worsened without their cell phone, and nearly six in 10
(57%) credit their mobile device with improving their life. The study probed how
teenagers are using cell phones and found that four out of five teens (17 million)
carry a wireless device.
23

 3.5 billion: cellphones in use worldwide, or about half the global population.
 4.1 billion: mobile phone subscriptions. That's about 3.5 times the number of PCs
in use around the world

22
Google map created by Cater Lee Swartzlander, September 28, 2009.
23
http://www.marketingcharts.com/interactive/cell-phones-key-to-teens-social-lives-47-can-text-with-eyes-
closed-6126/harris-ctia-teen-cell-phone-use-die-without-cell-phone-august-2008jpg/
22
 China is the world leader in cellphone ownership, with 695.2 million phones,
followed by India at 441.7 million, and the United States at 271 million.
 22.4 million: number of users in the U.S. who now access the mobile Web to
retrieve news and information.
 3 billion: active users of text messaging at this moment.
 1 trillion: dollars in revenue reached by the global mobile telecom industry in
2008 -- roughly twice the size of both the global advertising and computer
software industries.
 80%: percentage of teens who carry a wireless device, or 17 million, a 40%
increase since 2004
Hence, the number of potential consumers for Textandtweet.com is huge. That also
extends to the potential listeners for the radio portion of the business, and audiences for
speaking engagements regarding the issues involving text messaging. My challenge is
how to put forth a solution-based, pro-active resource for adults to both understand all the
social, educational and ethical issues surrounding this topic. Textandtweet.com would
feature an updatable Google Earth map, where users all over the world could text topics
for discussion, educational prompts, questions, etc. It would be an interactive forum that
uses the language of text messaging to communicate globally.
Who would fund Textandtweet.com? There are a number of potential sources,
including for-profit companies, private foundations, and advertising revenue. I also
anticipate revenue from booking speaking engagements.
Cell phone manufacturers – could be advertisers, investors, or partners:
23
The world's largest individual mobile operator is China Mobile with over 500 million
mobile phone subcribers. The world's largest mobile operator group by subscribers is UK
based Vodafone. There are over 600 mobile operators and carriers in commercial
production worldwide. Over 50 mobile operators have over 10 million subscribers each,
and over 150 mobile operators have at least one million subscribers by the end of 2008.
Figure 2: Top Five Mobile Phone Vendors in the Third Quarter of 2008
24

In mobile phone handsets, in the final quarter of 2008, Nokia was the world's largest
manufacturer of mobile phones, with a global device market share of 39.4%, followed by
Samsung (17.3%), Sony Ericsson (8.6%), Motorola (8.5%) and LG Electronics (7.7%).
These manufacturers accounted for over 80% of all mobile phones sold at that time.

24
"By the Numbers: Top Five Mobile Phone Vendors in the Third Quarter of 2008 - RCR Wireless News,"
Rcrwireless.com. 2009-07-21.
24
Private Foundations – listed below are some possibilities, primarily those interested
in digital technology and education:
1. Common Sense Media –This national organization is a respected leader on kids
and media issues led by concerned parents and individuals with experience in
child advocacy, public policy, education, media and entertainment.
2. The Sesame Street Workshop - One particular source would be the Joan Ganz
Cooney Center, which recently published a report on the positive educational uses
of text messaging called “Pockets of Potential.” The Center’s stated mission is to
support research, innovation and investment in digital media technologies to
advance children’s learning.
3. Merrill Lynch - with clients, employees, and offices in 40 countries, Merrill
Lynch has both a global commitment to philanthropy and a deep appreciation for
education as a tool to improve the world.
4. The Annenberg Foundation – Obviously with great ties to our very own
Annenberg School of Communication, this foundation focuses on sharing ideas
and knowledge.
I built Textandtweet.com on Word Press, at no cost. The only startup cost I have
incurred is in buying the domain name on GoDaddy at $29.99, plus hosting fees of $63
per year. So for under $100, this professional project is well underway.
In conclusion, I was called to action by the words of professors in the Specialized
Journalism Masters’ program at USC Annenberg School for Communication and
Journalism. In a Web 2.0 world, where the profession of journalism has fundamentally
shifted, those of us who want to remain relevant as journalists must create our own brand.
25
My intent is to be the specialized journalist that focuses on new media issues, using
broadcast, print, and the powerful tools of the web to advance the latest news and
information on the subjects of text messaging, Twitter, and other forms of social
networking. I intend to use textandtweet.com primarily as a promotional tool, to feature
news and information that will encourage dialogue among users who visit the site. I hope
that will generate interest in my original content, and help me to both inform readers and
gather followers. After all, this is a subject I understand intimately and am passionate
about.
Since every adult I know is constantly discussing the positive and negative aspects of
digital technology, including texting, tweeting and social networking, I think there is a
huge audience for the topic. Textandtweet.com is intended to be a platform for
enlightening and engaging global conversations.

26
Bibliography
Agarwal, Rajshree, and Day A. Edward. “The Impact of the Internet on Economic
Education.” Journal of Economic Education 22 Mar. 1998: n. pag. eLibrary.
Web. 30 Apr. 2010.

Cowan, Ruth Schwartz. A Social History of American Technology. Oxford: Oxford UP,
1997. Print.

Crystal, David. “2b Or Not 2b.” The Guardian. N.p., 5 July 2008. Web. 25 May 2010.
Davis, Michele, and Bonita Parker. “Strengthening policy: through IMS technology in
health and human services.” Policy & Practice 67.4 (2009): 11. Opposing
Viewpoints Resource Center. Web. 26 Apr. 2010.

Entner, Roger. “Under-Aged Texting: Usage and Actual Cost.” Nielsen Wire. N.p., 27
Jan. 2010. Web. 4 May 2010.

Evans, Llyod. “Txtng: The Gr8 Db8.” Short and Sweet 19 July 2008: 34. Thomson Gale
Research Center. Web. 26 Apr. 2010.

Ferenstein, Greg. “3 Ways Educators Are Embracing Social Technology.” Mashable.
N.p., Mar. 2010. Web. 24 May 2010.

Fresco, Adam. “Texting Teenagers Are Proving ‘More Literate than Ever Before.’”
Times Online. The Times, 31 Oct. 2005. Web. 25 May 2010.

Herther, Nancy K. “The Changing Language of Search.” Searcher 1 Jan. 2009:
n. pag. eLibrary. Web. 30 Apr. 2010.

Jackson, Andrea. “Some Schools Advising Teachers to Limit Texting, Social Networking
with Students.” Times-News. N.p., 7 Feb. 2010. Web. 25 May 2010.

Lenhart, Amanda. “Text Messaging Becomes Centerpiece Communication.” Teens, Cell
Phones and Texting. N.p.: Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2010. N. pag.
Pew Research Center. Web. 25 May 2010.

Miners, Zach. “Could Texting Be Good For Students?” U.S. News and World Report.
N.p., 29 Oct. 2009. Web. 4 May 2010.

Prensky, Marc. “What Can You Learn from a Cell Phone?” Innovate! Journal of Online
Education 1.5 (2005): 1-9. Web. 24 May 2010.

Rosen, Christine. “The Myth of Multi-tasking” New Atlantis. No. 20, Spring 2008.
27
Salinas, Orlando. “Bring Your Cell Phone to School.” LIve Shots. Fox News, 10 Dec.
2009. Web. 24 May 2010.

Vetere, Frank, Steve Howard and Martin R. Gibbs. “Phatic Technologies: Sustaining
Sociability through Ubiquitous Computing.” Proceedings of ACM CHI 2005
Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. April 2005.

Watkins, S. Craig. “The Young and The Digital.” Boston: Beacon Press, 2009.

28
Appendix A – Long-form Website Post

MOBILE VOICES
By Cater Lee Swartzlander

“Una historia común de la humanidad dividida, unos de este lado de la frontera, llorando
sin tener la oportunidad de acompañar en el ritual mortuorio al ser humano que aporto las
semillas de su existencia, quien enseño el valor del trabajo, el amor a la tierra, amor a la
vida y sobre todo ¡El respeto entre hermanos!
Una historia mas, de tantas que han sucedido y sucederán, en la búsqueda de un lugar...
¡para vivir, UNA MEJOR VIDA!
¡L E G A L I Z A C I O N! “ (blog entry posted by Madelou Gonzales)
Madelou Gonzales never imagined herself as a technological wizard, but the grandmother
of ten has quickly picked up the skills needed to blog for Mobile Voices. She posts every
day or two, about events ranging from special events and anniversaries in the Latino
community, to education and social issues. In one of her posts she interviews a woman
named Teresa, writing: “Faith and Hope remain in the collective imagination of a large
part of Angelenos. Teresa is another person who believes in the certainty of the historic
event in this nation, our charismatic President Barack Obama who is about to complete
his first 100 days of directing this great nation, where we hope that he follows through
with LEGALIZATION. Personally I'm totally in agreement with the imperative
necessity for everyone to deal with this problem, which is social, legal, and above all,
HUMAN! No more deportations and ruptured families.”
29
Madelou shares the concerns and visions of her peers, and she has overcome her own
technological fears in the process. “At first, it was not easy to use my cell phone,” she
explains, “but now I find it easy to do my job.” She does consider her citizen journalism
to be an important job, vital to her community. “Communication Activism” – the photo
speaks volumes, posted on the website “Mobile Voices,” known to the Los Angeles
Latino community as “Voz Mob.”(http://vozmob.net) The photo depicts immigrants,
using communication to evoke social change. That, in a nutshell, is the mission of
Mobile Voices. It was posted by a blogger who goes by the name “schockmob,” who
could easily be a day laborer, undocumented immigrant, or student. The contributors to
Mobile Voices possess a wide variety of educational backgrounds, income levels and
technological skills. The one device that all of the citizen journalists who write and post
videos, photos and audio for Mobile Voices share is the cell phone. It is the inexpensive,
universal means of communication that transcends the digital divide. With the rise of
unlimited text messaging plans, and cheap phones that take photos and record videos,
even low income immigrants can participate in the digital revolution. Amanda Garces,
Project Coordinator for Mobile Voices, says the website was created with that common
ground in mind. She says for years undocumented immigrants with limited English and
computer skills have felt powerless to write their own history. At a time when the public
debate is raging about immigration rights, Garces is a huge proponent of empowering the
workers to let the world understand their lives from their own perspectives.
30
Mobile Voices is an academic-community partnership between the USC Annenberg
School for Communication and IDEPSCA (the Institute of Popular Education of
Southern California). While recent immigrants are able to use the low-cost, open source
platform to tell their stories, students and faculty members from USC are studying and
documenting the process. The goal is to explore how this multimedia storytelling
platform can work in the community, to help a population that is often marginalized. The
project represents new ways of engaging communities that have long been under-served,
allowing the citizens to take on reporting issues and stories that affect them directly. Its
headquarters are located in an old house in downtown Los Angeles. Every week the
workers meet to share stories, concerns, and express their voices both in person and on
the computers that line the walls of a small room. Everything about the site is decided by
a group vote, since democracy is at the center of the operation. Many of the workers had
little to no computer skills, since many of them don’t even own computers. They assist
each other, and quickly learn how to use their mobile devices to participate on the
internet.
The mission of Mobile Voices is simply to help immigrants participate in the public
debate, by empowering them to use digital technology. At a time when immigrant rights
are a hot-button issue, IDEPSCA hopes to promote an authentic image of undocumented
workers and their lives. The small, burgeoning website is one potential solution. On its
website, IDEPSCA states: “Specifically our goal is to organize and educate immigrants
concerned with solving problems in their own communities.” Mobile Voices, or Voz
Mob, gives immigrants the chance to tell their own stories, to write their own history.
31
Appendix B – Long-Form Website Post
BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE
By Cater Lee Swartzlander

“Ants make tunnels. They work together underground.” Seven-year old Annabelle
reads facts she has just learned about ants into the small microphone attached to an iPod
Touch, Apple’s latest gadget that looks like a smart phone, but operates as a small
pocket-sized computer. First, the children in this second grade class put on headphones
and listen to a story. They take notes while they listen. Then they record what they heard
and understood into the hand-held mobile device. Annabelle says that learning on the
iPod Touch is “easy and fun.”
It is rare to find smart phones or any kind of mobile devices utilized in an American
classroom. In fact, many teachers ban mobile devices altogether because they fear kids
will be distracted by text messaging, games and other distractions. However, some
school reform advocates believe that mobile devices may offer the most affordable and
efficient way yet to bridge the digital divide between technology-rich school and poor
ones.
The principal at Stanley G. Oswalt Academy in the east Los Angeles County suburb
of Walnut has made it her mission to embrace the latest high-tech gadgets like iPod
Touches and laptop computers such as MacBooks, in an effort to incorporate digital
learning into every classroom. “I think schools that are not involved in some kind of
technology program…or making technology accessible for students, are not really
preparing those students to go out into a global society, a global economy,” says Astrid
32
Ramirez, a petite brunette who is both a passionate administrator and a mother. Ramirez
has a son who is in the second grade, and she calls him her “guinea pig” for new
educational apps for the iPod Touch. Teachers at Oswalt Academy refer to Mrs. Ramirez
as a “visionary leader.”
Ramirez brought the high-tech gadgets on campus as part of a pilot program that
Apple offers schools open to creating an immersive digital learning environment. Right
now, there are 100 iPod Touches disbursed throughout the second, third and fourth grade
classrooms at Oswalt Academy. The idea is to introduce the mobile devices in phases,
with students in most classes sharing half a dozen mini computers. However, one third
grade class was targeted for a one-to-one experiment, so all 20 students in teacher
Beatrice Azanza’s class have their own dedicated iPod Touch. The hope is to be able to
demonstrate the program’s effectiveness, and make every classroom a one-to-one
environment without a couple of years. Azanza is sold on the program and says her third
graders are constantly excited and engaged in solving math problems and reading stories
on the smart phones.
The initial idea in bringing mobile devices to the lower grades was to improve
students’ English comprehension and fluency. Since the students come from diverse
cultural backgrounds where several languages are spoken, the Ipod Touches allow them
to each work at their own speed. With headphones on, they can listen to the story at a
comfortable pace, then stop to answer questions about what they read.
The students also read aloud into the device, and the teacher can listen to each student
individually without stopping the class lesson. It gives the teacher an audio archive to
hear how each child’s reading improves, and the recordings can also be played for the
33
students and their parents during conferences. Ramirez says parents see the gains in their
children’s reading ability happen quickly.
One might think that this is a “rich” school, when you see brand new iPod Touches or
laptops in the hands of the students at Oswalt Academy. But Oswalt is a public school,
where families from a wide range of socio-economic levels send their children. And
Oswalt is no different from any other public school in California when it comes to facing
more budget cuts to education. Technology is one of the areas that suffers most under
budget constraints. Tom Tolliver, a seventh grade social studies teacher, says if not for
the school’s partnership with Apple, he would have one old desktop computer to use in
his classroom. Instead, every student in his class carries their own laptop to class.
Just 30 miles down the road, the state of technology at another Los Angeles area
public school represents a stark contrast to the picture at Oswalt. Piles of ancient
computers are scattered throughout the campus of Enterprise Middle School in Compton,
where the school was built more than six decades ago, and still suffers from antiquated
wiring and painfully slow Internet service.
Steve Reichlin is a former computer software engineer who transitioned from a 20-
year career in private industry to teaching math to seventh and eighth graders in
Compton. He says he focuses on successes, even small ones, in an atmosphere where
many of his students will never go on to high school. Still, he is heartened by “the give
and take” of teaching, and he says, “I love to see the light bulb go off.”
In his classroom, there is one desktop computer that Reichlin uses to create
powerpoint presentations or spreadsheets for class lessons. There are no computers in
any of the middle school classrooms for student use, but there is a computer lab on
34
campus, where teachers can take students to work on specific projects. Unfortunately,
Reichlin says there is no computer teacher to explain programs or software, and because
of the old infrastructure of the school, it’s a “crapshoot to get the whole class online” in
the computer lab. He says “It’s just not wired for the electrical load that it takes to run
dozens of computers,” and describes a time when the lab was shut down for weeks
because of a blown breaker.
Reichlin says he would welcome educational applications that would get his students
more involved and engaged in learning pre-Algebra and Algebra. He would love to
explore the use of gaming and other software that would capture the kids’ attention, and
he says, “I think they may be behind here in terms of what they’re exposed to, but as soon
as they’re given any new technology, they’re going to pick it up just like that.”
After speaking to a few of the students at Enterprise Middle School, it is obvious that
Reichlin is correct, and they are incredibly technologically savvy. A group of eighth
graders told me almost everyone has a cell phone and a computer at home, which they
use for social networking (MySpace, Facebook, texting) instead of educational purposes.
An eighth grade girl says she wants to be a cardiologist and she knows she will need
advanced technological skills to get into college and medical school. The kids say they
would love to see newer, faster computers at school that they could use for projects and
research. But they laugh at the notion of using mobile devices at school. “A smart phone
in class?” one eighth grade boy scoffs, “They would never allow that here!”
Reichlin says it all comes down to dollars, pure economics. “We’re a school. You’ve
got to keep in mind that a school just doesn’t have the money to be on the cutting edge.”
35
When Reichlin hears about the students at Oswalt Academy in Walnut, where the
students have iPod Touches, he says “It must be nice.”
Smart phones may actually solve the kind of digital divide that exists among schools.
Apple Development Executive Cheryl Lee calls it the “future.” Using mobile devices is
much less expensive than laptop computers, and Lee says “the smart phone technology
puts an entire computer platform in the hands of a child. “
That’s where the kind of immersive program that Apple offers can bridge the
technology gap of an economically disadvantaged school. Apple gives a ten percent
educational discount to schools, and arranges for parents to pay the cost of the smart
phone or a laptop computer on a monthly payment plan to the school. The cost of an
iPod Touch is $199, and so far Oswalt principal Astrid Ramirez says it’s been an easy
sell to many parents who have seen the benefits to their children.
Apple is not the only computer company to offer this kind of initiative. Dell also
offers a similar 1X1 Computing Program, with special academic pricing and team
support to schools. And in March of 2010, the Marvell Moby tablet was introduced to
educators. With a $99 price tag, it is touted by proponents of the “One Laptop Per Child”
movement as a global solution in getting affordable computers into the hands of children
in at-risk schools and in underdeveloped countries around the world. There is an entire
website called OLPCNEWS.com devoted to reforming education through creating one-
to-one digital learning environments.
In Walnut, the parents definitely had to get on board for Ramirez to bring the Apple
One-to-One Laptop program to Oswalt Academy. While most schools wait for funding
36
from the state, Ramirez says she convinced parents that investing in their children’s
digital skills would be worth it.
Today every single student in the fifth, sixth and seventh grade at Oswalt Academy
has their own personal MacBook to tote around campus and take home each day. “They
are never without their computers now. They use them constantly, for every class.
They’d die without it!” says pre-algebra teacher Sandy Coleman. In her classroom,
Coleman says her entire math curriculum is on one website, so there is no textbook.
Ashlyn Montoya, a seventh grader, works out percentage problems on a scratch sheet
of paper, before entering her answers into a computerized worksheet. If she gets the
answer wrong, the computer will let her know, instead of waiting for Ms. Coleman to
check each problem. Ashlyn can go back and re-work a problem until she gets it right, in
much less time than it would take to work it all out on paper, hand it in to be graded, and
wait for the results.
Once Ms. Coleman has taught the day’s math lesson, each student is able to work at
his or her own pace on class work. If someone is finished quickly, there are math games
to play on the computer. All the homework assignments are loaded onto the Pre-Algebra
website, too, so the kids can get it done wherever and whenever they have time.
It has taken two years to see this technological explosion at the Walnut school.
Ramirez introduced the plan as a pilot program in the fall of 2008, with 240 laptops in the
hands of students. Parents at Oswalt Academy slowly embraced the idea. Ramirez
convinced 85 perent of the middle school parents to sign up for a lease-to-own program
through Apple. It Parents agreed to pay $44 to 46 a month over a three-year period,
through the school. This way many lower-income parents who could never have
37
qualified for a credit plan through a retail store, were able to buy laptops for their
children that they would use through middle school, and own by the time they entered
high school. A personal computer bag, all software upgrades and educational materials
are included, as well as maintenance and computer repairs, for a total cost of about
$1,500.
For the parents who could not even afford the monthly lease payment, the school
subsidized the purchase of the laptops. On Valentine’s Day of 2009, Ms. Ramirez held a
highly publicized “Kiss a Pig” contest. She brought in $4,200 for the laptop program by
allowing students and community members to make one dollar donations, and vote for
which teachers would have to wear a pig nose and kiss a 90-pound pig during a school
assembly. The event was fun, and brought even more excitement to the school about
bringing the Apple computers to the campus, even for the students whose parents
couldn’t or wouldn’t agree to buy them.
Students who received a school-bought computer could use them at school, but could
not take them home. But an interesting phenomenon took place once the program had
been in place for several months. Apple’s Cheryl Lee says parents saw their kids become
more engaged and interested in learning. They brought their computer skills home, and
used them and taught them to their families. The level of participation in the lease-to-
own program rose from 80 to 92 percent. Now a year and a half into the immersive
program, Apple laptops are in the hands of 370 students at Oswalt. Ramirez hopes to roll
the program out to the entire eighth grade next year, and eventually to the whole school,
which goes from kindergarten to eighth grade.
38
When you see the students at work on the laptops, you can immediately sense the
enormous levels of enthusiasm. One seventh grade boy proudly shows visitors the rich,
colorful multimedia powerpoint presentation that he has put together on segregation. He
demonstrates his understanding of landmark court cases on the subject using text, photos,
and video. He flips through the pages on his iMac screen with finesse and pride. For the
average seventh grader, these advanced technological skills might seem daunting, but at
Oswalt Academy in Walnut this level of computer mastery and engagement can be found
in every classroom.
Oswalt was recently named one of eight schools in California as an Apple
Distinguished School. The school welcomes teachers, administrators and board members
from other areas to come to regularly held open houses and see the programs in action.
Oswalt’s principal claims it is a choice worth making when it comes to preventing a
digital divide. Ramirez wanted her school’s students to have the opportunity to be on an
even playing field with other kids out there. With emotion in her voice she admits, “I
have parents coming up and telling me that it’s changed their kids’ lives. That’s how I
know it’s making a difference in learning.”

Abstract (if available)

Abstract It’s a language that has swept our world like a tsunami, in less than a decade. The language of text messaging, using an instant, abbreviated format to send a message, has eclipsed talking on the telephone as the primary way teenagers communicate. Around the globe, millions of people are expressing themselves multiple times a day in 140-160 characters or less. Many of the fears and lamentations surrounding this new language are valid. What it is doing to human interaction, safety, writing skills? This project, Textandtweet.com, is an aggregate website that features original, in-depth reporting and analysis, blogs, and links to information that focus on the issues surrounding new media in relation to youth and education. From social responsibility, to politics, education, and new technology, this site is focused on creating a resource for individuals and organizations interested in the positive applications of text messaging.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Swartzlander, Cater Lee (author)

Core Title The language of texting: the new language of a digital nation

School Annenberg School for Communication

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program Specialized Journalism

Publication Date 08/10/2010

Defense Date 08/09/2010

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Communication,digital,digital nation,education,OAI-PMH Harvest,SMS,text messaging,texting,texts

Place Name USA (countries)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Celis, William, III (committee chair), Cowan, Geoffrey (committee member), Hernandez, Robert (committee member)

Creator Email caterls@aol.com,caterls1@gmail.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-m3378

Unique identifier UC1466960

Identifier etd-Swartzlander-3847 (filename),usctheses-m40 (legacy collection record id),usctheses-c127-381569 (legacy record id),usctheses-m3378 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-Swartzlander-3847.pdf

Dmrecord 381569

Document Type Thesis

Rights Swartzlander, Cater Lee

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Repository Name Libraries, University of Southern California

Repository Location Los Angeles, California

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu