Most of the younger people that I've met use good grammar and spelling while communicating via electronic devices. Many of the older people who I've met will leave errors uncorrected or use faddish shorthands. I've also found that people of all ages take care with their grammar and spelling on the forums that I frequent. I'm not saying that these people are using formal English, but I don't expect people to use formal English in the context of conversation. So please let that stereotype die!

The errors creeping into formal writing is a different story, and it reflects the fast pace, corner-cutting mentality of modern society. While computers may support that mentality, they are certainly not the cause of it. Take the maligned spell-checker. Spell-checkers are a wonderful tool to learn how to spell words properly. After all, it catches errors and provides feedback that you may learn from (and even learn new words in the process). The problem is that people equate spell checking with proof reading, which it isn't. But that misinterpretation is a human fault, rather than a fault with the technology.