Do you think writing email has strengthened or weakened people’s writing skills?

1. 83

   Seckin Esenposted 11 years ago

   Do you think writing email has strengthened or weakened people’s writing skills?

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      Cherri Jaramilloposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      I would not say it was emails that has weakened people's writing skills, but it has definitely contributed to the lack of interaction skills. I would say, more so, that texting has been the downfall of people's writing abilities. Everything is acronyms now, and it is near unbearable when it comes to people like me, who are anal about spelling, grammar, and punctuation!

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2. 75

   CraftytotheCoreposted 11 years ago

   I'm not sure because I don't know how much email is used now compared to 10 years ago even.  With all of the social media outlets, do people use email more or less now?  At one time, instant messaging was also popular.  I know personally my email usage has declined substantially within the last few years.

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3. 67

   LKMore01posted 11 years ago

   As I was contemplating sending out hand written holiday cards versus holiday emails this is a thoughtful and poignant question, Seckin. The same amount of effort and knowledge of grammar and spelling appears to go into handwriting a letter as typing an email. However, most email programs auto correct spelling mistakes and there is the instant ease of sending off an email rather than hunting for a physical address and applying a costly stamp. 
        Personally,special occasions require a hand written note. Hand written letters and cards seem much more personal and heartfelt than cold electronic emails. Handwriting is brain writing or soul writing. You are actually sending a part of yourself when you write a letter as opposed to texting or just choosing your font.
        However, with our computers we do have access to all kinds of online dictionaries, encyclopedias, we can insert a video, a photograph and we get instant gratification when we get a response back in a few moments. Great question.

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4. 85

   JayeWisdomposted 11 years ago

   I can only answer this with regard to my own use of email as a "letter-writing" platform and that of my family and friends who communicate with me via email.
   
   It is so easy and convenient to sit at the computer keyboard and type a message--long or short (mine are often longer than any letter I would write on paper to mail).  Because I don't have to hold a pen in my arthritic hands and form my nearly illegible handwriting, find an envelope and stamp, and then mail my message, I communicate much more frequently (and, as I mentioned, at length) with family and friends who live in other places than I ever did before the advent of email.
   
   Yes, I'm old enough to remember B.E., "before email", more than 30 years ago.  I even remember B.I., "before Internet." In those days, one had no option but to use paper and pen for writing letters or else call a person on the phone.  Consequently, written correspondence was much more limited than it is today, and--since those were also the days of toll charges for long-distance phone calls--most people didn't talk to distant relatives and friends as often.
   
   I often prefer emailing someone rather than phoning them because it's faster. I get the reply and usually answer it, so a back-and-forth conversation ensues.  I like email! Because it's such a handy medium for communication, I use it a lot. In that respect, I write more and so do my correspondents.
   
   Whether an individual person's writing skills are strengthened or weakened by using email depends entirely on his or her determination to write grammatically and structurally well in the email medium. Not everyone cares enough to do so. I do not text or send instant messages because they tend to be carelessly dashed off full of abbreviations--some nearly impossible to understand--in a nonsensical type of personal shorthand. I don't send them, and I don't want to receive them, thank you very much. I do believe that texting is weakening the writing skills of everyone who uses the method frequently, especially young people who have been doing it most of their lives. It is especially ruining the ability to spell.
   
   I also don't "do" Facebook or Twitter because I don't care to write every thought I have in short bursts, nor do I care to read much of what is posted on social networks.  Unfortunately, some people who previously wrote to me via email only write on Facebook and/or Twitter these days, so I've lost some correspondents to social media. It is what it is.
   
   Jaye

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5. 60

   ReneeDC1979posted 11 years ago

   I think it has weakened people's writing skills.  We rely on abbreviations and do not edit what we type before we hit send.  As technology improves at such a fast speed, so does our communication.  We are in a rush, so we do not take the time to check our work.

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6. 50

   Ericdierkerposted 11 years ago

   It has sharpened them greatly. I wrote twenty five emails yesterday. Only 4 social ones. I think I wrote to about 6 countries. I wrote them for 7 clients. Perhaps they were good and perhaps not. Put they effected people's lives. I am quite sure that they have been read over 75 times.
   
   Writing is still the most powerful of all communication skills for business and personal matters.
   I also mailed out two hand written letters.
   e

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7. 0

   CalebSparksposted 11 years ago

   I don't think email will strengthen or weaken someone's writing skills. Email is just a medium of communication. It's possible to write in the very same way on paper as on the computer. The level of writing you choose depends on the situation and the receiver.
   
   I'll admit it might be easier to just thrown out a few words in an email without proper punctuation, capitalization, etc... than if you were writing a letter and putting in in an envelope.
   
   Ultimately the person before the computer screen decides if he will write properly or sloppy.

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      Ericdierkerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I like this sentiment. It reminds me of nuns with rulers. "write properly or sloppy". Did it ever occur to anyone that sloppy might be the proper way?

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      CalebSparksposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      lol eric your comment is funny. u know what i mean?   (my example of "sloppy" 

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      Ericdierkerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      For sure for sure. It is funny though.

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8. 75

   bipolartistposted 11 years ago

   My answer stems from my own experiences.
   
   The emails I receive show no sign of etiquette or grammar strengths.It is almost as if the world relies too heavily on a red squiggly line. I receive emails with word replacements like "u, 2" and "OMG."
   
   In that regard, no. I do not think it has strengthened writing skills.
   
   From my own emails I see no difference. If anything, I deplete myself of what I "want to say" by toning down my affect. Sending an email to a colleague does not require poetic influence, so I rob myself of a "great" response.
   
   We have become lazy, to a degree. Some of us for good reason.

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9. 58

   starstreamposted 11 years ago

   It has strengthened my writing skills. You can be so much more creative writing an email.  The actual cursive handwriting skills may be almost lost though.  My penmanship is terrible now after typing everything for so long!

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10. 76

    married2medicineposted 11 years ago

    Well, I think what has weakened people's writing skills is text messaging and sms, but e-mail? In this part of the world I strongly doubt that! But when it comes to the text messaging, my o my! English is being stabbed on a minute- basis.

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11. 61

    THarman7posted 11 years ago

    I think they strengthen peoples writing skills because e-mail is a little more formal like writing a letter!

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12. 76

    Thief12posted 11 years ago

    E-mails, not so much. But chats first, and now texting, Facebook, or Twitter? Yes.

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13. 75

    A Karpinskiposted 11 years ago

    I, personally, was taught how to write a "proper" and "professional" email when I was in middle school by my father, so I think writing emails has actually improved my writing and communication skills as I have continued to write professional and high-quality emails to anyone that I might have to correspond with.

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14. 82

    tamarawilhiteposted 8 years ago

    Texting has done more to erode it than email has.

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    johnmariowposted 8 years ago

    Improving one's writing skill requires a conscious effort.  Simply writing does not improve one's writing skills. One has to learn sentence structure, punctuation, paragraphing, etc.

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16. 84

    Deborah Minterposted 7 years ago

    I think a lot of people are developing a type of shorthand or quick writing, because of emails and texting.

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17. 49

    daveletsposted 7 years ago

    One or two things are certain more and more ordinary folks are expressing their thoughts hence  they  we  have a platform and that's a good thing. On the down side they are not protected. Their writings are easily victim of plagiarism  but too a small price to pay for us to be heard

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18. 85

    Guckenbergerposted 7 years ago

    For people like me, it strengthens writing skills. I will look up and correct my spelling errors. Writing emails is part of my temporary job at my church. Honestly, it all depends on who is writing the emails.

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19. 52

    Deo A Ramosposted 7 years ago

    yes because people cannot compose anymore emails without using a computer. Their natural talent on writing is lessened.

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20. 37

    Tamanna225posted 7 years ago

    Email marketing strengthens the writing skills for sure. This will teach you how you can put your thought in a creative and engaging way, and also how you can influence the readers with the words.

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21. 0

    LloydDawsonposted 6 years ago

    I'm glad we are moving away from everything being written in short form.  I think that was really hurting the ability of a lot of people to spell properly.  Grammar was completely out the window.

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22. 59

    Charmain Blogguerposted 6 years ago

    I think it might have improved writing skills. Emails are generally used in official settings, settings where one would be hard-pressed to use incorrect grammar or unnecessary abbreviations. As opposed to texting, or communicating via social media.

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23. 60

    Erudite Scholarposted 6 years ago

    It has weakened the writing skills of some people and strengthened the skills of others.If you write constantly, you will certainly improve your writing.If you are a sloppy writer,you will degrade your writing skills.

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24. 71

    hazeltosposted 6 years ago

    I believe that writing emails and texts both have weakened the ability of the younger generation to be able to write and spell both.

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25. 59

    laugherposted 6 years ago

    It is very difficult to answer this question. People want to write really compelling, professional mails, and they go so far as to hire people with good writing skills to write mails. This is especially true of marketing pitches, some of which are written by extremely good copywriters.
    
    Colleagues who have trouble writing good mails are made fun of (behind their backs, mostly), and are even ostracized sometimes. So, I'd say there is a general expectation regarding email quality, a sort of minim quality threshold we seem under pressure to adhere to.
    
    I have limited my comment to the professional sphere because I don't think emails are scrutinized so much when they are written for an informal or intimate recipient.

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26. 60

    Katanoiaposted 5 years ago

    No more than any other technology has done so, though the current generation has increased the pace of such decline.

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