article_snippet: It was condemned as a 'digital virus' with many fearing standards of literacy would plummet.
article_snippet: But text speak has not been the disaster for language many feared and one leading linguist has claimed text speak
article_snippet: He said that age had not necessarily heralded a 'linguistic revolution' in the way critics had predicted and said the 'moral panic' of the potential change has not been justified.
article_snippet: The linguist said many abbreviations such as 'c u l8r' are not commonly used by modern teenagers.
article_snippet: Professor Crystal dismissed claims youngsters were not reading as much today as claims youngsters had done in the past .
article_snippet: Professor Crystal comments dispel previous claims abbreviated language was worsening teenagers' grasp of the English language.
article_snippet: In 2012 a study claimed the grammar standards of school pupils aged 10-12 had slipped as a result of constantly using shortened phrases.
article_snippet: Researchers urged parents not to communicate with parents children in text speak to avoid parents abilities suffering more.