Teens do not see a connection between electronic social communications tools and formal writing. They also think the latter is neglected, and they and their parents would welcome more writing instruction. Eight in ten parents believe that good writing skills are more important now than they were 20 years ago, and 86% of teens believe that good writing ability is an important component of guaranteeing success later in life. Teens recognize writing as a growth process, while they see electronic communications as highly utilitarian.

• 85% of youth ages 12-17 engage at least occasionally in some form of electronic personal communication, which includes text messaging, sending email or instant messages, or posting comments on social networking sites.
• 60% of teens do not think of these electronic texts as "writing."
• 57% of teens say they revise and edit more when they write using a computer.
• 63% of teens say using computers to write makes no difference in the quality of the writing they produce.
• 73% of teens say their personal electronic communications (email, IM, text messaging) have no impact on the writing they do for school, and 77% said they have no impact on the writing they do for themselves.
• 64% of teens admit that they incorporate, often accidentally, at least some informal writing styles used in personal electronic communication into their writing for school. (Some 25% have used emoticons in their school writing; 50% have used informal punctuation and grammar; 38% have used text shortcuts such as "LOL" meaning "laugh out loud.")

These findings were developed through a phone survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project and the National Commission on Writing for America's Families, Schools and Colleges. "There is a raging national debate about the state of writing and how high-tech communication by teens might be affecting their ability to think and write," said Amanda Lenhart, a senior research specialist at Pew and co-author of the report. "Those on both sides of the issue will see supporting data here. There is clearly a big gap in the minds of teenagers between the 'real' writing they do for school and the texts they compose for their friends. Yet, it is also clear that writing holds a central place in the lives of teens and in their vision about the skills they need for the future."

Source: Pew/Internet Press Release: Teens do not consider a lot of their electronic texts as writing
Click here for the full report, Writing, Technology and Teens