For day-to-day texting, proper grammar is not only unnecessary but sometimes detrimental to communication.
The idea that all written words must adhere to the conventions of proper grammar in order to be valid and not risk weakening English as a language is, at best, antiquated.
In the modern era, text vernacular has managed to turn written communication into a highly efficient and effective form of correspondence that would only be made worse by forcing the use of proper grammar.
Merriam-Webster defines the word “language” as “the words, their pronunciation and the methods of combining them used and understood by a community.”
Language, therefore, is not an unchanging set of rules and conventions. The only way that language can exist is through mutual understanding of words, which subjects it entirely to the needs of those using it. Ultimately, if the words used by one person are properly interpreted and understood by the other, that is a valid use of language.
The use of acronyms, such as “LOL” and text slang meant to shorten words are, by extension, also valid uses of language. So long as the words are able to be interpreted accurately by the receiver, the text has achieved its purpose without the need for proper grammar.
Issues with proper grammar in texting can also arise simply from the use of punctuation.
A study by psychologist Danielle N. Gunraj found that text messages that used ending punctuation, such as periods, were perceived to be less sincere than messages without ending punctuation.
The conventions of proper grammar state that periods denote the end of a sentence, but that same period has a different connotation when used in texting.
The end of a text message is normally understood to be the final word written, but by using a period, extra emphasis is placed on the end of the message. Since texting emulates a conversation, this extra emphasis feels out of place and is usually interpreted negatively by the reader.
Furthermore, the use of proper grammar could convey to the receiver that the sender is being impersonal or distant. The same effect would happen if, in real life, the same formality used for job interviews was used when talking to friends — it would be strange and horribly out of place.
Proper grammar should not be used when texting friends for the same reason emails to professors should be free of slang — it can end up ruining the potential for clear communication.
