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'If you send your kid a lot of texts with word adaptations, then he or she will probably imitate it,' says researcher
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Your support makes all the difference.Texting may cause young people to forget how to use grammar, according to a study.
Researchers at Penn State University gave middle school pupils a grammar test consisting only of things they had already learned in class.
The pupils were also asked to outline details about their texting habits, such as how many texts they sent and received each day.
They were also asked to analyse any grammar “adaptations” used in the last three texts they had sent – such as the use of words like ‘gr8’ and ‘LOL’.
Researchers S Shyam Sundar and Drew Cingel found frequent texting made pupils more likely to get low scores on the test, and that those who frequently used “adaptions” of words scored even lower.
"In other words, if you send your kid a lot of texts with word adaptations, then he or she will probably imitate it," Mr Sundar said.
"These adaptations could affect their off-line language skills that are important to language development and grammar skills, as well."
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