When Twitter first began to gain popularity, every human being who has ever come in contact with Strunk and White cited it as the downfall of communication and one of the worst tools for proper language. The way I look at it is: although by limiting the user to only 140 characters communication can seem constraining at time, it does not mean the downfall of proper language. As an exercise in originality, 140 characters can actually be the catalyst to promote more creativity in the field of communications to get an idea across.
With the increase in communications channels the message can easily get lost within all the noise. One of the greatest features of Twitter is the ability to get snippets of news. Instead of reading a two-page long article to get to the point, a user can easily go to a news organization's Twitter feed to get the main point. As a recreational tool, yes, it is possible that more and more abbreviations will enter the English language, but for those who are professional communication will at its current level. Unless the apocalypse is on the horizon, it is highly unlikely that CNN or the BBC will begin using the number "2" instead of "to" to prove their point. There will always be professional use and recreational use. The only addition that Twitter and its character limit is adding now is that the professional will need to become more creative to stay ahead.
Source:
Tirado, B. (2011). Communicating within 140 characters. Psychology Today. Link.
