We are an ever evolving species, becoming smarter and smarter every second. We are now more capable than at any time in our past because our brains are developing faster and we are living longer to allow for more use of our intellect. As we evolve, so do our means of communication. Just last year, text messaging was unheard of. Please note the hyperbole, but realize that the way the written message is sent and received has vastly improved in a short amount of time. With this new type of communication came shorthand to further increase the speed at which ideas can travel. Whole sentences are cut down into mere letters and more and more acronyms are being made every day. Now we can think of these as a breakdown in society where all the children who talk like dis r social degenerates, or we can realize what they are really doing to the English language: improving it. I have never written a paper and had my teacher say, “You must write ‘t is’ instead of ‘it’s’ because it’s proper.” That would be silly since “it’s” is perfectly proper.
So, logically thinking, since “OMG” is the same sort of contraction as “it’s”, shouldn’t it be accepted in writing? Also, if you can convey a complete idea in one word, why do we need a whole sentence? We are so caught up in believing that the contractions and shortcuts that kids engineered are harmful, but we forget that we grew up with the same type of thing. We also forget these contractions are more advanced intellectually than their constituent words since they have combined meaning and came after the original words. Perhaps English teachers need to wake up and realize that this new shorthand is some of the most advanced writing there’s been since Shakespeare.