"Put your phones away! If I catch you texting, I have to confiscate them until the end of class!"
This statement might as well be added into teachers' and professors' syllabus on the first day of class. Kids have phones these days, and when they can't talk on them, they text one another on them. More and more kids and teens are becoming proficient in "txt speek", and some educators are naturally becoming concerned for the future generations English skills.
However, a recent study conducted by Coventry University indicates that texting could have positive effects on childrens' English development because of increased exposure to words and language. Apparently, the stories in the media regarding the harm texting has on kids' English skills are based on selected anecdotes.