Texting and Digital Communication: Effects on Students' Behaviour

Abstract

The present research work stems from the observation of the omnipresent use of the mobile phone and texting, and the Internet and digital communication among today’s young people around the world. In order to check the effects of these practices, we have conducted an investigation of a sample population consisting of students from the Department of English in Tlemcen University. An on-line questionnaire administered to 130 students revealed interesting results, mostly quantitative data that we analysed to check the extent to which text messaging is used and its impact on the youth’s linguistic behaviour. A qualitative approach is also used, particularly by analyzing an interview with a number of young adults on the one hand and an overall observation of real samples of texting and messaging conversations. The results show that there are indeed some effects on students’ linguistic practices, though slightly visible in their academic writings, and on young people’s social behaviour in terms of their virtual relations with others.