Please forgive me as I'm certain this subject has been broached many times, yet I just can't stop myself from being completely put off and ashamed by some health care providers. When I come across in chart entries, orders, professional blogs... commonly used (simple) words that are misspelled or sentence structure and syntax more in line with a junior high school student, I am immediately embarrassed for the profession and quickly dismiss the author's credibility. Right or wrong, I feel that your spoken and written words are reflections of your intelligence, competence, and overall professionalism. While I get that not everyone possesses this innate ability, for goodness sake, use spell check or Google it if you have to! I don't mean to be harsh, but really?
I'm far from "old" (in my 30s), but wall clocks are very much still used. Therefore, we should ensure middle school children know how to tell time by looking at one of them. I have also worked with many students that are scared to make a phone call or a presentation. While I appreciate the digital age, I do wonder if some of it distances us from face-to-face and voice-to-voice daily interactions.
As for grammar, one thing I find interesting is that I tend to text in more complete words/sentences and my parents use text abbreviations (u instead of you, for example).
LOL. People in their 60s and 70s still say they are far from old, all a matter of perspective.
Sure analog clocks are still around but honestly I would put it down in the way low priority to learn bucket.
Sure the new digital communication methods are altering communication but I would not say it is distancing them each other, actually I would say the opposite is true. People now communicate more than ever! It used to be that you got a Christmas card from extended family once a year, now you get to see a video of them walking their dog in it's new sweater.
I think social communications are changing and it is important for young people to be given the skills they need to thrive in their society when they become adults and not focus on our society and the skills we used or the skills our predecessors used. Since things are moving to digitial faster than ever it is important that their skill set is focused on digital communication.
I have noticed that about texting as well, older people tend to use slang and abbreviations far more than young adults or children I find. I have a theory that they are using it as a method to compensate for their inabilty to type on a small buttonless digitial interface quickly.
I'm on board with OP. But I stopped expressing my opinions in this area when I found out that schools are no longer teaching cursive writing . . . & discovered that no one else was shocked, appalled, gobsmacked, stunned, flummoxed, aghast, or even perturbed. I'm convinced that literacy Armageddon is looming.
Perhaps the students at my school will be out saving grace. We still teach cursive in 2nd and 3rd grades.
I tend to agree with the OP, though I wish that snap judgement would stop (for me anyway). It's not a part of myself that I like very much, and it's hypocritical of me because at 37 I just learned that I spell receive wrong when I write it out. I also just cannot grasp effect vs affect and I'm a relatively intelligent person.
Though in our A&P class, someone asked the teacher if she could name the cranial nerves 1, 2, 3, etc, instead of using Roman numerals because she'd never learned them. That raised my eyebrow a bit (the teacher said no).
I will also say that it's a privilege to be disdainful of the way other people communicate - not everyone was born and raised in English speaking countries, nor did everyone have the same access to a decent education or support system. I know that I'm privileged though.
Specializes in med-surg, IMC, school nursing, NICU.
I'm sorry, but 'professionalism' connotes certain implied expectations and standards of educational preparedness and behavior. The fact that you're okay with the the 'dumbing down' of some professionals speaks volumes about you! Perhaps, come back with a wittier response when you've been in nursing longer than 1 year! I digress
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Technology plays a big factor. Back in the day we had to know how to spell because everything was handwritten or had to be typed on a typewriter (who remember correction tape? ) Now with the advancement of technology, society now rely heavily on computing and less on having to think about spelling, sentence structure, etc. We expect the computer to do it all for us.
But for the life of me I don't understand why people just don't right click on the red squiggly line and choose the correct spelling of the word.
Correction tape! I told classmates about my typewriting class that I took in middle school and the young'uns had no idea those even existed. A class? to learn how to use...a thing called a typewriter? Unpossibe.
Slightly off topic, but I used to work as a test proctor for the LSATS. Before the test begins everyone needs to copy an honor statement in cursive. It was really fascinating to see a whole classroom of obviously bright students struggle so much with a simple task. A few took almost 10 minutes!
Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
I will also say that it's a privilege to be disdainful of the way other people communicate - not everyone was born and raised in English speaking countries, nor did everyone have the same access to a decent education or support system. I know that I'm privileged though.
But when someone was born in the US or Canada and has a university degree, one should be able to expect basic writing skills. I, too, am embarrassed by a lot of what I see. Not talking about perfection but for heaven's sake at least learn to use paragraphs.
) Now with the advancement of technology, society now rely heavily on computing and less on having to think about spelling, sentence structure, etc. We expect the computer to do it all for us. 
Asystole RN
2,352 Posts
LOL. People in their 60s and 70s still say they are far from old, all a matter of perspective.
Sure analog clocks are still around but honestly I would put it down in the way low priority to learn bucket.
Sure the new digital communication methods are altering communication but I would not say it is distancing them each other, actually I would say the opposite is true. People now communicate more than ever! It used to be that you got a Christmas card from extended family once a year, now you get to see a video of them walking their dog in it's new sweater.
I think social communications are changing and it is important for young people to be given the skills they need to thrive in their society when they become adults and not focus on our society and the skills we used or the skills our predecessors used. Since things are moving to digitial faster than ever it is important that their skill set is focused on digital communication.
I have noticed that about texting as well, older people tend to use slang and abbreviations far more than young adults or children I find. I have a theory that they are using it as a method to compensate for their inabilty to type on a small buttonless digitial interface quickly.