I arrived all right about 4 oclock hope you are all right grand wether

We’re all familiar with the impact that the internet and text messaging is having on our ability to write properly. In this message, we can see the misspelling of “weather”, as well as a missing apostrophe in “oclock”. We can also see two run-on sentences – there should really be a full stop after “oclock” and “hope” should be the start of a new sentence. Nor is there a full stop at the end of the message.

I am trying to trick you. This message actually predates the internet by about 90 years: it’s a postcard written in Yorkshire in 1907 to a 16-year-old girl called Alice Ward, who was to go on to be an industrial worker – in other words, an average working-class girl of her time. My point here is that there is nothing new about people – particularly young people – struggling to spell and use grammar correctly, and making mistakes in the process. This is not to say that it doesn’t continue to be a problem for teachers, parents and pupils – but it’s a problem that we’ve always had to deal with.

Researchers from Coventry University set out to investigate whether there is any correlation between the use of what they call “textisms” and poor spelling and reading skills. In one study they investigated 88 British children aged 10-12. The researchers compared the number and kind of textisms each child used with their performance in various literacy tests. They found that the children’s use of textisms correlated most significantly with greater phonological awareness – that is, a better awareness of how different sounds (or phonemes) are captured through spelling. In other words, children who used more textisms were more familiar with English phonemes – and also happier to play around with or manipulate language.

That’s a shame! Maybe cld meet for few hrs tomo?

If textisms are not a sign of poor spelling, then why do people use them? Some textisms may be driven by the desire to shorten a message or to be quick. In this text message, the consonant writing “cld” and “hrs” and the clipping of tomorrow to “tomo” appear motivated by the fact that they involve fewer key presses.

Texting can give children a space in which to be creative with language. Photograph: Graeme Robertson/Guardian

However, it quickly becomes difficult to put the textisms down solely to the desire to abbreviate. In the example above, the abbreviation in the second sentence sits oddly next to the more expressive “That’s a shame!” If you are solely interested in being quick, why bother with that social nicety? In fact, people use respellings to convey quite complex interpersonal meanings. They’re not only trying to get to the point quickly; they’re also trying to connect with people and present themselves in particular ways to do so.

Thankyou for ditchin me i had been invited out but said no coz u were cumin and u said we would do something on the sat now i have nothing to do all weekend i am a billy no mates i really hate being single

(18-year-old woman to her sister)

In this message, an 18-year-old cleverly creates an annoyed and frustrated tone. She does this through a number of respellings which reflect how she might speak in such a mood: the clipping of final position Gs in “ditchin” and “cumin”, and clippings like “coz”. The effect is also created through the lack of capitalisation and the use of a homophone “u”, suggesting that she is not editing this message but speaking from the heart. The syntax is important too – all the sentences are run together so that it reads like a spoken rant, and, like all figurative language, the use of “billy no mates” conveys more intensity and emotion than non-figurative language.

Hey fella. Did you hav a gd day wiv the kids? Was a nice day to go to woods. Giv us a ring sometime x

(30-year-old woman to a love interest)

In contrast, this example uses respelling to convey an air of casual nonchalance, with the informality of “fella” and the simple kiss at the end. At times, the writer sounds like she’s talking but at other times this message has the feel of a postcard. It has a greeting and a signoff in a way a more conversational text message may not. And the ellipsis in the sentence “Was a nice day to go to woods” (the missing “It” at the start and “the” before “woods”) is not very speech-like but more like a written note.

These show that textisms are an important resource in presenting oneself in online writing. You might argue that these texters are adults, and that children are less likely to be able to use language like this. However, studies show that children engage in creative practices and that this may be important in enhancing literacy skills.

The researchers from Coventry concluded that what was also beneficial about text messaging was the opportunity for playfulness and creativity; that text messaging provides children with a space in which to experiment and express themselves. Children are probably writing more than ever before, and they are doing so freely and through their own choice, developing their writing skills through play.

Dr Caroline Tagg is a lecturer in the department of English language and applied linguistics at the University of Birmingham.