Young Adults Say Proper Spelling Just Not That Important

Author Carla Rea

September 21st, 2023 11:18 AM

Young adults say proper spelling isn't important

Proper Spelling Used To Be Really Important. But Is It Now?

Here’s a serious question for you: Who uses better spelling and grammar in texts and on social media: Kids, their parents or neither?

Have you ever heard your parents, or grandparents talk about having to learn Latin? Well, Latin is now dead. And I’m beginning to wonder if English might be soon, as well.

In a new survey from StudyFinds.org, less than a quarter of Gen Z’ers use periods, commas, and quotation marks in texts and on social media. And only one-third even bother to proofread their messages before sending them.

And Then There’s Autocorrect

Autocorrect is supposed to do all that for you, but most of the time, autocorrect is even worse. Isn’t that right, hiney? I mean, honey! Ugh – I’m going to the poop, and take a swim. The POOL!

For comparison, more than half of people over the age of 65 say they are always sticklers for proper grammar usage while texting or posting online, the survey stated. Nice to know, actually, so do not make fun of your elders.

The numbers are similar when it comes to using capital letters. But, just a quarter of those between 18 and 24 make sure to use capital letters correctly, compared to a whopping 61% of seniors, the survey further states. Then of course, there are the ALL CAPS people, who either don’t know, or care that their caps are locked, or they just like to yell!

Does It Really Matter?

Overall, 69% of people tested in the survey say they are more likely to use correct spelling and punctuation in text messages. But less than 10% of people say they make sure to use proper grammar on social apps like TikTok and Snapchat.

Most young adults say as long as the meaning is conveyed, the technical accuracy of the writing just doesn’t matter anymore. And only a third of Gen Z’ers even bother to proofread their messages before sending them.

Kyrie Eleison! Yes, it’s a song, but it’s also Latin. Look it up. Your grandparents will be proud.

Next up: Abbreviations. Or should I say, abbreves.

Carla Rea is the morning show co-host on “The Mike and Carla Morning Show" on 96.3 KKLZ, in Las Vegas. She has been working with her partner and friend Mike O'Brian for the past 25 plus years. At KKLZ for 12 years. Carla Rea is a Gracie Award winner. She started out in talk radio, "when talk radio was still fun" Rea says. Prior to, and along with doing the morning show, Carla is also a comedian. You may have seen her on Conan O'Brien, Evening at The Improv, Showtime, or several comedy clubs across the country. Carla also worked as a light feature reporter at KSNV/NBC Las Vegas, going behind the scenes at various shows, and restaurants on the Las Vegas strip. As a content creator 96.3 KKLZ, Carla writes in a sarcastic, cheeky, unapologetic way on Las Vegas, movies, TV, celebrities, and this thing we call life.

Do You Know Your Social Media Abbreviations?

Social Media Abbreviations are a whole language now.

This might wind up being a test, to either make you feel old – or young if you nail it. Below are the most popular abbreviations people use online.

Millennials and Gen-Zers of the world have taken technology and run with it, which is understandable considering they are the ones who grew up with it literally at their fingertips. They are natives to the worlds of technology, whereas the generations before them are all immigrants to the world of technology.

Do you wonder why so many things are abbreviated now? Believe it or not, people didn’t start abbreviating just to look cool. It actually started because of social media character limits.

Twitter is especially known for this because the platform used to only allow up to 140 characters in a single tweet, leaving lost tweeters to figure out how to make their messages short, sweet and to the point.

As Twitter was mostly being used by millennials and Gen-Zers in the beginning, they started to create their own language, with abbreviations. Twitter now allows up to 280 characters in a tweet, but the abbreviations aren’t going away any time soon, because they have become their own language.

Sometimes it’s difficult to keep up with all the latest slang, but I’m here to help!

So, here are some of the most popular internet abbreviations that are commonly used online, and definitely in text messages, so you don’t have to keep scratching your head in confusion every time you get a text from your kids.

If you’re paying attention even a little, you probably know a lot of these. Like LOL – “laugh out loud,” (no Aunt Mildred, it’s not “lots of love,” but thank you!) and FYI means “for your information”

Great start! But how many of these other ones do you know? Here’s a ranking – we’ll start out easy, then get a little harder.

-Carla Rea

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kklz963
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DM
Direct Message. As the kids say, “it goes down in the DM.” Sometimes, we share memes, recipes and pictures through direct messages.

4zevar via Getty Images
JK
Just Kidding. It’s a pretty common one that can totally change the tone of your text.

Robert Daly via Getty Images
BRB
Be Right Back. Sometimes, we just want to “brb” in real life.

Jack N. Mohr via Getty Images
TBH
To Be Honest. I don’t know when’s the last time I used this. But, I enjoy sprinkling this in my texting vocabulary every now and then.

AtnoYdur via Getty Images
IRL
In Real Life. This is when you need to give someone a dose of a reality check. You can use it in the context of “in real life, this wouldn’t be a big deal.”

Artur via Getty Images
NSFW
Not Safe for Work. This one seems to be used during the golden age of texting abbreviations, which can be said to be around 2007 – 2010. This is when we were truly communicating through shorthanded abbreviations and keyboard emojis.

damedeeso via Getty Images
TTYL
Talk To You Later. This is another great one that you can still use either in a sarcastic manner or a real-life meaning.

Bohdan Skrypnyk via Getty Images
NBD
No Big Deal. This can make a situation calmer and can change the tone of your text to convey different messages.

Jarmo Piironen via Getty Images
IMO and IMHO
In My Opinion and In My Humble Opinion. Another one that I use sparingly. “IMO, I think the Chipotle on Rainbow is better.”

isiddheshm via Getty Images
FTW
For The Win

Oscar Gutierrez Zozulia via Getty Images
SMH
Shaking My Head. You can say this one when disapproving of someone’s actions!

Siri Stafford via Getty Images
IDK
I Don’t Know. Sometimes, this is the perfect response.

Deagreez via Getty Images
IDC
I Don’t Care. Enough said.

zGel via Getty Images
MSG
Short for the word “Message.”

Dacian_G via Getty Images
OMW
On My Way

Nadzezhda Paliakovavia Getty Images
G2G
Got To Go. You can use this if someone makes a funny or crude joke. “GTG from this convo!”

Makidotvn via Getty Images
TFW
That Feeling When . . . you learn great texting lingo.

Robert Daly via Getty Images
MFW
“My Face When.”

max-kegfire via Getty Images
ILY
I Love You. A very common one that many of us know.

Sudowoodo via Getty Images
IMU
I Miss You (Yes, a ‘U’ even though the word “you” starts with a ‘Y’.)

worldofvector via Getty Images
ICYMI
In Case You Missed It!

ALLVISIONN via Getty Images
SRSLY
Short for the word “seriously”

Bastian via Getty Images
TLDR
Too Long Didn’t Read

RoMiEg via Getty Images
BAE
It actually stands for Before Anyone Else. (Bae is also just short for “baby” or “babe.”)

sidewaysdesign via Getty Images
SOML
Story Of My Life

Social Media Abbreviation Via Getty Images