Why are we so bad with spelling and grammar as a society nowadays?
461589
As the society drifts further from its Judeo-Christian moorings, it loses its reason to care about real literacy.  The shift is from the word (or more appropriately, the proposition) to the multimedia "image," which can include words (as a soundbite) but is predominantly visual and always aimed at emotive, rather than mental, impact.  With a vast educational establishment, it has taken a while for spelling and grammar to become affected, but they have been.  Absent another Great Awakening, look for it to become worse instead of better, and look for the church and the synagogue to once again become repositories of print culture (and therefore, Western civilization).\nWhy the connection with Judeo-Christianity?  The adherents of propositionally revealed religion have been the custodians and promoters of literacy wherever they went.  The history of the modern literacy movement *is,* to a large extent, the history of what Christians have done.  Even today, virtually the only people willing to help reduce an unwritten language to writing and teach a people group to read their own language are Christian missionaries.
156972
why dont people write properly?
822872
You'll find it's mostly Americans who can't spell. Our educational system has gone down the crapper. As far as that goes our society as a whole is quickly turning into mush. It's a scary thought that these people will someday be running our country. Both the parents and the teachers simply don't care enough to make sure our kids learn how to do anything. I think the spelling talents are just the tip of the iceberg. It's just the most obvious. \nThe parents don't care. So the kids don't care. They say things like, "why do I need to know how to spell?" "You knew what I meant!". "It's never bothered me, why should it bother you?". It's not only pitiful but it's sad. America, the land of the free blithering idiots.\n.
825870
I think it's an example of everyone's growing laziness. I'm sure that I'm not the only who's noticing an epidemic of doing the minimum, not just with spelling. Especially with kids, though adults are also at fault, there is the rush to do the the smallest amount of required work in the smallest amount of time. And spelling is one of the places where it's worst. Most sites that I surf for info are published and spell checked, but forums drive me nuts. They're a great way to get answers, but I get pissed off because some many people have so many useful things to say, but their spelling is terrible. It's not too hard to decode some basic mistakes, but there are many large errors that compromise the meaning of a sentence (or should I say fragment).\nI find it very, very, annoying, but I don't see anything that can be done about it. Apparently the auto spell check that places a squiggly line under misspelled words and obvious check spelling button aren't enough. But at least there still are some who use the built-in spell check features.
574152
I think because we learned how too type too fast and too lazy to check our spelling!
368631
Why don't people know how to use a spell checker?
595618
In an ideal world, there wouldn't be such a need. But since schools these days are not requiring spelling and grammar proficiency exams before graduating high school, the level of competence in these areas is going downhill fast!  I am amazed more and more each day at what I see in here and, honestly, those people should be ashamed. There is no excuse for it.
1056175
I've asked this question.  Most people just don't care about their spelling, and they claim to be in too much of a hurry to use Spell Check.  They are idiots.
1179499
why is your grammar so poor?
202552
I have the same concerns and not just here in Yahoo Answers.  Certainly we all make mistakes in spelling from time to time. We sometimes transpose words and letters.  Some here obviously do not have a familiarity with English due to culture or age.  I do not believe that it is just a matter of this being an informal format.  Part of being in this Yahoo Answers is to communication with others.  \n\nThe numbers of questions which I have seen asked that are simply not clear is astounding.  It’s not a matter of just misspelling or using the shorthand methodology of writing, these are bad enough on their own, but the inability to structure a clear sentence is as startling as a bright sunset.  To me this represents either a lack of education or a disrespect for the people who attempt to read these questions.  More over, the answers often follow the same pattern of inability to communicate.  \n\nIf we were all together in a room we would have additional tools to facilitate clear communication, such as tonal inflection, facial expression, body language, the context of a specific subject under discussion and possibly even knowledge of those speaking.  All of this contributes to clear communication. \n\nHere in Yahoo Answers (as with nearly all internet exchanges) we are limited to the written language.  Maybe the use of the term “limited” is in error because the English language is a strong and vigorous tool to accomplish communication, if and when we use it.\n\nNothing is unusual with groups who develop a language variation centered around their association.  Those in the computer field do it as do those in the medical field or the police field or those in mathematics or those of specific geographical areas and many other fields, but when they talk with or write for the general public they use standard English. \n\nOf course it maybe simply a matter of education.  I believe few learn the art of parsing a sentence or the ability to comprehend the reading of classical literature, or any literature for that matter and that seems to extend into comprehending current writings.  For all of the technical advances in our times literacy seems to be decreasing and comprehension seems to be dropping along with it.  In the source link here one can find the Eighth Grade Graduation Test for Salinas, Kansas 1895.  I think even today’s teachers would find it challenging.  For fun, go there and try only the Grammar section.
298735
I think that spelling actually has more to do with kindness and consideration for others than it does raw intelligence (or lack of it). Spelling is part of the way we accomodate others when we ask them to share in our thoughts. If we don't take the time and make the effort to smooth the way for them by using standard spelling, I think we're subtly letting them know that their time isn't as valuable as our own. \n\nExcept in very, very rare exceptions, it's a selfish disregard for others that keeps people from making the effort to be forthright and articulate. I have never met anyone who had a learning disability who wasn't extremely conscientious about improving spelling, grammar, & mechanics. None of them have had the devil-may-care attitude of the bad spellers here.
537668
I reckon a large proportion of people on here could do with that too! The use of grammar, spelling and sentence construction is terrible! Don't they educate people anymore?
40593
Two reasons, in my opinion:\n1. English spelling is inconsistent, and does not match the pronunciation of the words.\n2. Good spelling comes with reading a lot of high-quality writing. People don't do this any more.
546318
the same reason you have poor spelling?
28417
Well, internet speak aside, most people don't know they can't spell or speak properly.\nAt 18 years old, most of the kids I went to school with couldn't spell or read properly.  And Even I, someone who is always trying to be gramatically correct, and I am said to have a fantastic vocabulary, but even I sit down to type and realize words I use every day in speach, I can't spell.\nThe answer is poor education.  I swear to you I learned more from the travel channel than I ever learned in my history class(which was taught by one of the schools many coaches in teaching positions.)
373422
they have become too dependent on spell checkers and calculators..\n\nI usually give them this like to go play at...\n\nhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/revisewise/english/spelling/
1044114
There are two senses of "bad spelling".  Mixing up "your" and "you're" and spelling "schedule" as "skedool", for instance, are probably a result of foreigners with poor English skills and the fact that English grammar and spelling aren't taught in school any more (as far as I know).\n\nUsing "u" for "you" and "c" for "see" is more lazy than outright wrong and has most likely been spawned by the advent of internet chat rooms and cell-phone text-messaging.