Text-messaging skills can score SAT points

A recent article in the Christian Science Monitor challenges the widely held belief that IM and other forms of "Internet English" usage among neomillenial teens has eroded and weakened their writing skills.

The article cites Al Filreis, director of the Center for Programs in Contemporary Writing at the University of Pennsylvania who points out:

"People are so intent on seeing contemporary popular culture as bad, as lesser, that they can't sort out certain ways in which young people today, because of the Internet revolution, are better at what we used to do."

Filreis goes on to state that he's seen "the quality of student writing at the high school level [go] way up, and this is explained by the fact that they do more writing than they ever did."

The new SAT places a stronger emphasis on writing skills, and now there is evidence that perhaps all those hours teens spend IM-ing with their friends may result in higher SAT scores.