I’ll be the first to admit that I’m way behind the times. While I do have a cell phone, I’ll bet I only use it twice a month. If that. It’s really kind of a waste of money but I like the security of it when I’m out and about. I have NO idea what the deal is though with texting.
I have texted someone exactly once and that was one night at bowling when someone taught me how. I haven’t done it since. I do think it’s kind of neat but then again, I’m not sure why you just wouldn’t call.
This good question was on the news the other night and some of the answers were pretty good. One of the best answers, at least in my opinion was the man who said it wasn’t a big deal and if his wife was busy at work, he didn’t want to interrupt her but texted her to call him when she had a free minute. That sounds like a good idea.
What leaves me to question with that theory is then is everyone constantly checking their cell phones to see if they have any messages? I’ve seen teenagers as well as adults who hold their phones in their hands all the time. Have you seen pictures in magazines of “celebs” traveling and the only thing they are carrying are their phones? A lot of women don’t even carry a purse, let alone a traveling bag but they have their phones.
I also know people who are in the same house and even in the same room and instead of talking, they will text someone sitting right next to them. I just don’t get that. I know it’s “private” and all that but how much privacy does a person need? If your on the phone and you need privacy can’t you just go to another room? Do you really need to text? It almost reminds me of passing notes back and forth in jr, high.
I could see texting the kids to say “supper’s ready” if they were up in their rooms or something. I can also see the good sides of it but I still have a lot of reservations about it. Do kids go anywhere without their phones? I shouldn’t even say kids, I know an awful lot of adults who act like their cell phone is their best friend. My phone also doesn’t work at my house so for me, this wouldn’t work so I have to use the old fashioned method of my own voice if I want to say something.
I’m not making fun of anyone in any way. I guess if my husband ever checked his phone, I might just text: “please bring home milk” but he doesn’t even check the answering machine so chances are high, I’d not get the milk. I do think for many reasons it’s a good idea but I’m wondering how much of a distraction it is for kids, for example, that are in class. Are they paying more attention to their phone than the teacher? I can remember sitting in class and being bored and I’d daydream and look out the window but I still heard the majority of what my teacher was saying. But now, do kids pay more attention to the phone in case heaven forbid they miss a message?
I just wanted to know, how many of you text rather than just pick up the phone and say hi? I think it could be fun for some things but it seems to have taken on a life of it’s own and do people communicate by conversation anymore?
Us Girls..Our Views 
I think it has a lot to do with the fact that people are so busy these days, I always worry about disturbing someone or them not really having the time to talk – I text and then if they call great or if they say call then I call. Otherwise I never phone people, I must admit I hate calling people for that reason.
Great post hun, interesting thought!
I guess I belong to the younger generation here.. I’m not texting all the time.. like some people do. But I think it’s great to have. For example my husband always sends me a text message when he gets on the bus on the way home from work. In that way I know when to start with the dinner. The time he comes home differs a lot and I don’t want to sit and wait for him for an hour… It’s a lot better that I know when he will come. I’m also sending him phone numbers, shopping lists etc. that way.. I can remind him of something he needs to do because I know that he checkes the phone. If I would try to call him instead he might be busy and not have time to talk. If I send a message he can read it whenever he has time for it. It’s not about beeing obsessed by the phone itself. It’s about using it in a practical way.
When DH is at work we text each other a little so that we can touch base on small things that are timely. Other than that I wait until I know he’s on morning or lunch break so I can call him. My ODD texts me sometimes but not often, and I almost never text back because I can’t usually get to it right away and her DH might have the phone. (He is famous for not passing along messages!)
The one that kills me here is SD (16) who LIVES with her phone. She’s one that can’t go anywhere without it, it is constantly ringing (or vibrating, though rarely at home). She texts all the time while she’s in school and I refuse to text her back until I know the final bell for the day has rung. They are not supposed to have phone on while in school, or will supposedly get them taken away but a tolerance for them has been building up that really kills that rule. We don’t communicate all that much anyway but she would much rather text than speak to most anyone it seems. She talks to her “bf” but most anyone else is probably text messaged. The “come for dinner” stuff is rude in my opinion and feels like it’s another way to break down family communications. Is it that hard to go to the other room to tell someone something? SS likes to IM me from one room to another and if it replaces communicating in person then I’m really not happy about it. I can see file sharing in IM from room to room, but I don’t ever want one of these mediums to replace actual communication!
So, I guess I feel that texting should be short and sweet and to touch base sometimes when it’s not otherwise feasible, but it should not replace as much communicating as it has the potential to (at our house).
I no longer have a cell phone but when I did I would text certain people. Some people are just easier to text. I’m not big on sitting on the phone especially with people who you have that awkward silence with. Why the heck would you text someone that is in the same house as you??? I don’t get that at all.
Tim and I text a lot. In addition to his military duties, he works a 2nd job, so he’s working from 6am to 9pm daily, with a break between 2-5pm where he eats/sleeps/takes a break. So the only time I really get to converse with him is after his second job. By then, my house is quiet, and talking on the phone can be a little jarring (I like the quiet at night). So we text. It also allows him to unwind and watch a little tv and still tell me about his day, because it takes less concentration to text than to talk.
We also like to send love letters and pictures during the day (I’ll send him a picture of the kids, and he’ll send a video to the kids being silly). It’s quicker than mail, and a bit easier than email (although we email through our cell-phones too). In fact, with the email, I can email at his work when I’m out and about telling him I’m buying this or that, because I’m not suppose to call him all that often. And yes, we’ve actually texted each other while sitting next to each other at a table – sometimes, with kids present, it’s safer to talk electronically than verbally.
That being said, we rarely if ever text people other than each other. Or call them, for that matter. We’re not big phone-talkers, and our relationship with our phones has been cultivated over years of being separated by the military. In fact, we first got picture phones when he got orders to San Diego (I was stuck in Maryland) – it allowed my to send him pictures of Sophie so he could see her face daily and vice versa.
I have never texted, though I suppose my phone has the capability. I used to send emails via my Treo with my last job, but they were just like regular work emails, not a social thing.
I don’t usually answer my phone unless I recognize the number as someone I know and I want to talk at that moment. But my thought is, they can leave a message if they have something important to say. I do check my voice messages.
I’d rather people didn’t send me text messages, because I get charged for them. Usually they don’t say anything of substance. If someone wants to have a social exchange with me, let’s either exchange emails, pick up the phone, or get together.
I could see the practicality of a brief note like “call me when you get a minute” or “please buy milk.” Or in a case where you can’t be with the person or your computer and a phone call is not feasible. But other than that, social texting baffles me. If you’re on free time, send an email or open your mouth and talk. If you’re not, why aren’t you working / studying / listening? Didn’t they say the engineer of that train that recently crashed in CA was sending some lame text message when he missed the signal and caused the deaths of so many people? People are getting into the habit of being “halfway on task” and not really focusing on their responsibilities. Sooner or later, this is going to catch up with each of them.
To answer your question about how kids in class deal with this – yes, they are definitely looking more at their phones. It’s a welcome distraction for most, especially in high-school where you’re usually not studying anything of your choice, where you might have bad teachers, or for some kids, they’re too smart for the class and are bored most of the time.
Personally, I text when I’m somewhere where I can’t talk – for instance, if I’m on the bus, and I’d rather not be screaming on the phone and bothering everyone. Sometimes, I also use texting for making plans – for instance, if I made plans with a friend earlier and I want to confirm or change a small detail, I’ll text instead of call.
Growing up in a generation of chatting online makes texting seem totally natural for me.
I can text, but not very well!!! I usually don’t however. I’m already paying for minutes on my phone, why do I want to pay additional charges for texting??? Where I live they have made it against the law to text and drive at the same time, but I still see people do it. Texting for short and to the point purposes makes sense, but it shouldn’t be your whole conversation!
I’m a texter. I wasn’t, until I met Ricky. And then, the circumstances just made texting easier. When he was at work and I didn’t want to disturb him, but needed something at the store on the way home, I would text it. Sometimes just “I love you”. Mostly, I use it, as slightlyignorant said, when I am somewhere it is inappropriate to talk, or I don’t want to disturb others.
I could also see texting to avoid a conversation. Like, “I’ll be 2 hours late getting home, about to enter a dead zone, talk to ya later, bye.”
Eric and I both with you Joy!! We just don’t get it. We are dumbfounded as well.
To me, it’s another piece of technology that is suppose to give us more time, but actually takes up more time. America has so much time-saving technology, yet we have no time to say hi to our neighbors!!
Less gadgets for us, the better, and more time we have!! I got rid of our microwave even, and we both like heating things up instead on the stove.
When I come home to visit, my friends and family members are always TEXTING someone, and it is really annoying when you’re trying to visit with them. I think it is rude.
OH, and ALSO, one of my good friends-actually 2- have boyfriends they text ALL the time back and forth with…then they worry until they actually SPEAK to the guy what it is that he meant by something he wrote….was he sarcastic? was he serious? ect. I say to them, “WHY DON’T U JUST call them and ask!!?” I like to HEAR the tone of someone’s voice, the emphasis on things, and to hear if they are sad, happy, whatever!
I agree Sue! If it’s straight to the point-yes or no or something! My brother texted while driving, and I yelled at him, “You’re gonna get me killed!”
I have a cell phone that I rarely talk on let alone text! My husband and I refuse to get texting on our plan so we get charged per text. Since my daughter has no cell phone she uses mine on occasion and she can’t stand that we have no texting!
Just a Mom, Being a Mom is very important! You are never “just” a mom
Tessa, I agree being a mom, or a dad, is the most important job in the world!
I use Just A Mom because my youngest daughter likes to play reporter and after one of her many interviews with me her closing comment was “And there you have it from Just A Mom!”
I must be going through a younger generation, i texted all the time, i am checkin my messges always, its usually from the same 4 people, but still. I texted jared all the time when we are in the same room, its gets a conversation going, and its fun at times. That why we do it. Texting each other has made us more stronger and close, along with other things as well.
We just switched cellular providers. The sales guy was dumb-founded when I showed him my previous month’s bill.
My 19yr old daughter had over eleven thousand test messages! He asked, “Do you relize that like… fifteen text messages every hour of every day?” I replied… “that’s why we want the unlimited plan.”
That’s insane mssc!!! She must have to ice her thumbs by the end of the day, lol!!
I can see it’s a very handy thing to have. A fun thing too. I guess if my phone worked from home and I actually had someone to text, I would. I honestly would hate to hold my phone in my hand constantly though. It’s a habit that I know my husband wouldn’t get used to. It would be very handy to have as a “pick this up on the way home” if he would but I know he wouldn’t. You can lead a horse to water but…..
Joy, texting is a bad habit I think! That’s good you guys do things the old fashioned way, sad that it is old fashioned lol Hey guys, I don’t have much on my page right now, but I am going to start posting blogs on my site. tessafroom.wordpress.com
Im ashamed to say we IM each other in the house from our computers…. my niece and I txt each other cause well she’s 14. I text her from my computer to her cell. But sometimes its just more convenient to text each other.
Tessa go to your “user” tab in the dashboard and put your full website address there. It should look like this-http://tessafroom.wordpress.com/
Don’t forget the http:// This way wherever you go it will leave the link back to you. Otherwise it’s very hard to get to you. Your name right now goes to myspace.
tessa;
I went to visit your sight but but clicked off when the stripper music started.
Maybe others will appreciate that.
Good luck.
Hi joy how do i start my own blog like this.
LOL mssc. I never have my sound on so I didn’t hear it. She doesn’t have it on her wordpress one!! Right now she’s linked to myspace. If you want to check her blog on here it’s in my blogroll.
Thanks Joy, LOL mssc-that’s christina aguilera and you can click it off or click onto a different song listed.
Thanks Joy! Ok, I am linked now with my name! LOL mssc, that is Christina Aguilera. I am a huge fan! You can turn it off on my page though, or click on a different song I have listed!!