Writing is a system of written symbols that contains sounds,
syllables, or words of language, with various mechanisms such as
capitalization, spelling, punctuation, and grammatical structure. It
is one of the four macro skills –listening, speaking, reading, and
writing in language learning. Writing is a fundamental skill in
education, serving as a means of transforming thoughts, ideas,
and arguments effectively. (Raoofi, 2017)
Writing is a complex activity which is why many students may
find it challenging. However, in education, proficiency in writing is
a prerequisite for every student. In the field of Humanities and
Social Sciences (HUMSS), strong writing skills are crucial for
understanding concepts, presenting arguments, as well as
ensuring an authentic, coherent, and grammatically correct work.
Recognizing its importance, the Department of Education has
incorporated subjects into the curriculum that support the
development of students, writing skills. Through such subjects,
learners can enhance their writing skills and achieve academic
success.
However, due to the rapid shift in technology, social media
texting become prominent and it become a dominant form of
communication among students, often characterized by the use
of informal language, abbreviations, and non-standard grammar.
Students relied more on various platforms, this shift raises
concerns about whether frequent exposure to informal texting
influences students’ writing skills in academic settings. Various
studies have examined the relationship between informal digital
communication and formal writing skills, offering different
perspectives on whether frequent exposure to informal language
affects students’ ability to write effectively in academic contexts.
This review presents foreign literatures on writing skills, focusing
on a research that explores the role of writing in education, the
challenges students face in developing proficiency, and the
potential effects of social media on formal writing. By examining
these studies, we can better understand the factors influencing
the student’s writing development and identify strategies to
enhance writing integration in academic setting.
Foreign Studies on Writing Skills
In the study of (Javed and Ahmad 2022) they conducted a
comparative study on the negative impact of social media and
WhatsApp texting on students’ academic writing skills. Their research
analyzed narrative essays and found that students who frequently engage
in informal digital communication tend to exhibit a decline in formal writing
proficiency. The study emphasized that while social media provides an
avenue for instant communication, it also fosters the habitual use of
abbreviations, non-standard grammar, and informal language, which can
negatively affect academic writing.
In the study of Noviany et al. (2024) they explored the role of social media
in foreign language learning within higher education. Their study found that
while social media platforms facilitate interaction and engagement with the
target language, they also encourage informal linguistic habits that may
interfere with students’ ability to produce structured and grammatically
correct written texts. The research highlights the importance of balancing
digital communication with formal writing instruction to mitigate any adverse
effects.
(Suraworachet et al., 2022) study the impact of integrating human and
analytics feedback in improving students' engagement with reflective
writing tasks. Their findings suggest that structured feedback mechanisms
significantly enhance students’ writing abilities by helping them recognize
and correct common errors. While social media and texting often lack such
structured feedback, the study suggests that incorporating guided feedback
into digital platforms could mitigate negative effects on formal writing skills.
The study of (Bashiri and Kowsari, 2024) revealed that while AI-driven tools
improve communication efficiency and collaboration, they also encourage
over-reliance on auto-correct features and predictive text, potentially
weakening students’ ability to independently construct well-formed
sentences. This research underscores the need for educators to integrate
AI literacy into writing instruction to maintain student autonomy in academic
writing.
(Giunchiglia et al., 2020) investigated the relationship between mobile
social media usage and students’ academic performance. Their study
found that excessive use of social media, particularly for informal texting,
correlates with lower academic achievement. This is attributed to students
prioritizing quick, informal communication over structured academic writing,
leading to a decline in writing quality and coherence. The study highlights
the importance of setting academic boundaries for social media usage to
preserve formal writing skills.
1. Raoofi, S., Binandeh, M., & Rahmani, S. (2017). An investigation into writing
strategies and writing proficiency of university students. Journal of Language
Teaching and Research, 8(1), 191.
2. Senior High School Core Curriculum Subjects | Department of Education. (n.d.).
[Link]
high-school-core-curriculum-subjects/
3. Javed, S., Usman, T., & Ahmad, S. (2022). Negative
Impact of Social Media and WhatsApp Texting on
Students' Academic Writing Skills: A Comparative
Study. International Journal of Early Childhood Special
Education, 14(3).
4. Noviany, H., Juliarta, E. F., Sandya, D., & Abdullah, D.
(2023). The Influence of Social Media Platforms on
Writing Skills for Students in Foreign Language Learning
in Higher Education. International Journal of Language
and Ubiquitous Learning, 1(4), 330-343.
5. Suraworachet, W., Zhou, Q., & Cukurova, M. (2023).
Impact of combining human and analytics feedback on
students’ engagement with, and performance in, reflective
writing tasks. International Journal of Educational
Technology in Higher Education, 20(1), 1-24.
6. Bashiri, M., & Kowsari, K. (2024). Transformative
influence of llm and ai tools in student social media
engagement: Analyzing personalization, communication
efficiency, and collaborative learning. arXiv preprint
arXiv:2407.15012.
7. Giunchiglia, F., Zeni, M., Gobbi, E., Bignotti, E., & Bison, I.
(2018). Mobile social media usage and academic
performance. Computers in Human Behavior, 82, 177-
185.