OMG! IM is OK?

According to a study from the University of Toronto, instant messaging is not ruining the English language, even though about 80% of all teens communicate via IM.

The study--titled "LOL for real! -- Instant Messaging and Teen Language"--finds that teens use instant messaging shorthand for only 2.4% of their online dialogue. The rest of the time, they are demonstrating syntactic range and flexibility. A press release from the University of Toronto says,

The study finds that instant messaging language does mirror patterns in speech, but that teens, surprisingly, are actually using a fusion of different levels of diction. Teens are using both informal forms that their English teachers would never allow, yet they also use formal writing phrasing that, if used in speech, would likely be considered "uncool."

"Everybody thinks kids are ruining their language by using instant messaging, but these teens' messaging shows them expressing themselves flexibly through all registers," says Tagliamonte. "They actually show an extremely lucid command of the language. We shouldn't worry."

Sali Tagliamonte and Derek Denis of the University of Toronto presented their study August 2 at the annual meeting of LACUS: Linguistic Association of Canada and the United States.