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Emoticons Invade Academia

Teaching millennials causes new frustrations for college writing professors

By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 7, 2009 4:44 PM CDT

(Newser) – College professors have lamented the state of student writing for centuries. But today’s Internet-obsessed culture brings new, infuriating errors to Writing 101 as students brazenly use colloquialisms like “:-)” and “LOL” in essays. “Occasionally, I've seen someone using the number 4 for the word 'for,'” a Cal State San Marcos professor tells the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Besides inappropriate lingo, professors say, students’ writing suffers because of a decline in quality reading: “I ask my creative writing students about what they've read over the summer, and I'm shocked when they say they've read no novels, no poems,” says a University of San Diego professor. “They're watching TV or movies or playing video games.”

Texting and online chat has brought a new generation of writing errors into classrooms.
Texting and online chat has brought a new generation of writing errors into classrooms.   (Shutterstock)
A 'winking' emoticon
A 'winking' emoticon   (McMasterMedia)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 15 comments
Mr.C
Sep 9, 2009 2:30 AM CDT
...and my professional writing will shine all the more. Thank you PR writing classes.
BlueAyez
Sep 8, 2009 11:27 AM CDT
I LOL'd @ teh storeeeee!
JoeQ
Sep 8, 2009 4:38 AM CDT
Me spel gooder thanx 2 fine college english courses. ROFLMAO PS: English PhD: Can you say, "Would you like fries with that?"

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