Text Messaging

Text Messaging and Teen Literacy
Student’s Name
Institution
1. My research question is: How is Text Messaging Affecting Teen Literacy?
2. To maintain teens’ grammar skills and to improve their literacy in general, cell phones should be completely banned in schools for teenage use and parents should come up with and implement stricter regulations concerning the time spent on cell phones. Parents may, for example, allocate one hour of cellphone usage to teens the rest of which may be spent on their studies.
3. My purpose for writing is: To determine whether text messaging affects teen literacy positively or negatively.
4. My role is: To investigate and discuss how text messaging by teens negatively affects their literacy. I will then offer suggestions to teachers and parents on the best way to approach the issue.
5. I want my thesis statement to reflect the following needs, interests, values, and beliefs of my readers: Education and literacy as the key to a better life for their children, and the role of parents in the control of their children’s behavior.
6. I want my readers to do one or more of the following:
Learn about the possible harm that may be caused by text messaging on their children’s, siblings’ and students’ literacy efforts then weigh such negative effects against the positive benefits. Change their attitudes or beliefs about controls on text messaging
• take the following action: decide on how best to curb the harms of text messaging on teens’ literacy through the recommendations I will give.

7. I plan to write the following type of document: An essay on how text messaging affects teen literacy. The essay will start by exploring the positive then the negative effects of teen literacy then offer suggestions on how to curb the negative effects of text messaging at the end.
8. The most important words and phrases in my research question are: Text messaging and teen literacy.
9. The most important words and phrases in my position statement are: cell phones should be banned in schools and stricter regulations.
10. Building on my research question and position statement, my thesis statement is: Text messaging has a negative effect on teens’ literacy, and cell phones should, therefore, be banned in schools and stricter regulations imposed at home.
11. My readers are likely to respond to this thesis statement by asking the following questions or raising the following objections:
• How would the controls be effectively handled as some schools have banned cell phone usage in schools, but many students still manage to text in class
• Text messaging influences teens’ communication positively especially for introverts which is also crucial in their school and adult life. Through texting, many who can’t bring themselves to communicate face to face with others can maintain some level of communication with classmates and friends.
• Messaging is less disturbing as opposed to calls. Those at workplaces may not communicate freely via calls as there is a high chance of disturbing others who are busy at work. For example, parents may from time to time need to communicate with their children, and in this case, texting becomes the most appropriate method of communication.
• It may help strengthen relationships with classmates and potential friends which helps improve the teens’ social life.
12. I can focus my thesis statement by rephrasing it: Text messaging affects teens’ literacy negatively by eroding their grammar skills as well as their focus on studies hence stricter controls should be put in place both in school and at home.