An increasing trend of Internet slang and casual abbreviations used in academic writing is being seen by both high school teachers and university professors, according to a new report by Newhouse News Service

As real-time online communication via various instant-messaging programs like Yahoo! Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger and, more recently, text messaging via cell phones has become increasingly popular means of conversation, abbreviations and other shortenings of words and phrases have provided for faster correspondence.

And this is fine. But students must be taught from the beginning that the grammar and wording of a casual conversational exchange must be different from that used in academic or other formal writing.

With an estimated 64.8 billion text messages sent during the first half of 2006, twice as many as in the same period of 2005, according to the report, efforts should be made now to reverse the trend before it becomes a more widespread problem.

Linguistic research concerning the effects of Internet slang and abbreviations on syntax and other related linguistic competencies is somewhat limited to this point, but permanent linguistic effects notwithstanding, slang has no place in academia.

Without formalized linguistic rules, communication becomes difficult, and if rules of language are not enforced in academia, they will be enforced nowhere.

Admittedly, most college students will graduate with the ability to compose a passable essay, free of “lol,” “btw” and, we hope, “wtf,” but even introductory composition professors should not have to address such rudimentary points.

It is the responsibility of public school administrators to formulate curricula that ensure writing competency for all graduating high school seniors. Writing is a skill imperative for academic and, in many cases, professional success.