Dear Mark Zuckerberg,
I love Facebook. It's an excellent tool for communication and for advancing our society in ways we could never imagine. It's the new frontier, and kids as young as 13 are able to use it without difficulty. It's an excellent resource and has the capablity of helping kids advance their education by giving them access to Facebook groups for their classes (in lieu of sites like Blackboard), access to classmates, access to cultural material, and other forms of education that can be advanced with technology. I hope that one day, teachers can see that Facebook can be credible in academics, as long as it is monitored and used for reasons other than socializing.
But if Facebook does launch as a legitimate tool in school, I beg of you...please stop making writing a joke with Facebook. I don't think it's fair that young students have to be exposed to such horrible writing skills at such an impressionable age as 13. I feel that Facebook has dumbed me down a lot, and if it has dumbed me down in terms of writing technique, imagine how young students are being effected. This whole idea of quickness and efficiency is encouraged by Facebook users, including myself, which is great for on-the-go people. But now, all of a sudden, after years of training myself not to do so, I'm writing the exact way that I loathe to write. Not capitalizing I's, writing "there" instead of "their" or "your" instead of "you're", leaving out commas or apostrophes, etc. It's so frustrating! If this is how Facebook communication is effecting me, imagine how it can be effecting younger kids who's only exposure to writing is through Facebook wall posts and messages. Although I want kids to appreciate Facebook and to appreciate the doors that technological advances are opening for them, I also want them to appreciate the beauty and art in writing. Perhaps Facebook can become a website that enourages good grammar, complete sentences and good spelling!
How about it, Mr. Zuckerberg? Be at the forefront a movement to encourage literacy, to encourage effective writing to encourage writing to become apart of kids' everyday lives. You're already helping us to make technology an everyday part of our lives. Now, help us to create literate, intelligent students who can appreciate the beauty of writing. Let's stop butchering the English language, and let's start advancing it and the love of writing!
Sincerely,
A Current Facebook user and a Future English Teacher
But if Facebook does launch as a legitimate tool in school, I beg of you...please stop making writing a joke with Facebook. I don't think it's fair that young students have to be exposed to such horrible writing skills at such an impressionable age as 13. I feel that Facebook has dumbed me down a lot, and if it has dumbed me down in terms of writing technique, imagine how young students are being effected. This whole idea of quickness and efficiency is encouraged by Facebook users, including myself, which is great for on-the-go people. But now, all of a sudden, after years of training myself not to do so, I'm writing the exact way that I loathe to write. Not capitalizing I's, writing "there" instead of "their" or "your" instead of "you're", leaving out commas or apostrophes, etc. It's so frustrating! If this is how Facebook communication is effecting me, imagine how it can be effecting younger kids who's only exposure to writing is through Facebook wall posts and messages. Although I want kids to appreciate Facebook and to appreciate the doors that technological advances are opening for them, I also want them to appreciate the beauty and art in writing. Perhaps Facebook can become a website that enourages good grammar, complete sentences and good spelling!
How about it, Mr. Zuckerberg? Be at the forefront a movement to encourage literacy, to encourage effective writing to encourage writing to become apart of kids' everyday lives. You're already helping us to make technology an everyday part of our lives. Now, help us to create literate, intelligent students who can appreciate the beauty of writing. Let's stop butchering the English language, and let's start advancing it and the love of writing!
Sincerely,
A Current Facebook user and a Future English Teacher
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