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Nothing Wrong With Texting Under Control
I don't think texting is too bad, it's a lot quicker to communicate than calling or emailing. But some people text way too much and when they text and drive that's when there is a big problem. But other than texting and driving, texting is perfectly fine. Texting is a very amazing thing, being able to send a message any where in the world in a mater of seconds.
I have nothing against it, it's just when people are texting 24/7, that's when it goes too far. In the article the author is making it seem like everyone texts all the time and that's all they do and that texting is some terrible thing. But texting is not a bad thing at all. He says people on airplanes don't talk to each other and just text. The only reason people do that is because there is nothing else to do but text.
I usually text 50 texts a day and 5 calls a day which isn't too bad and that's is way below the national average of 88. I talk to people all the time with out texting. Texting is just an easier way to communicate when you are busy doing something. Sometime it's just a lot easier to text instead of calling.
Texting and Calling
I think Mitch Albom is right. http://personal.crocodoc.com/ApaB0SM Actually communicating verbally is a thing of the past now and it shouldn't be. Talking to people over the phone to me is much more useful. In the time it takes to write one message you could be done with the conversation. But there is a good side to texting. If you only need to say yes or no to something then texting is the way to go.
Also, its convenient if you can't talk at that time. You just type that you can't talk right now. Still, like he said in the article theres no emotions in texting. You might accidentally say something over text and a person might take it the wrong way. Words don't have emotion, peoples voices do and that's why I feel calling is a better alternative. To be continued...
You Can't Stop Progress
Mitch Albom does have a great point, on the fact that texting is a completely different way of communication then talking on a phone, or even talking straight to somebody. http://personal.crocodoc.com/ApaB0SM But, you can't stop progress, kids don't just text, which is why everyone makes a big deal about it. Kids still talk! (amazing isn't it?) Yes, if you sit a kid down at the dinner table, there aren't (or there shouldn't be) texting conversations with the parents and siblings sitting right next to them. My parents forbid have a cellphone at the table, heck we can't even pick up our home phone (most of the time) when eating dinner together. Mitch thinks that kids don't communicate using their mouths, but in school, at home, at sports, everywhere really, you will here kids talking aloud about who knows what. Texting is just a way to simplify life for people.
Without texting, I am willing to bet that Mitch Albom wouldn't be communicating with friends far away as often. Without texting I would be willing to bet that with almost everybody. Texting is one of the best things for communication these days, and yes you can send 'voice-texts'. If people want to hear the voice of the other person on the line, the person could send them a voice text, and tell them to do the same. I understand that it is basically calling, but when calling (on most phones) you can't still text the other people you were texting earlier. It would be like a life without e-mail, texting is just a mobile e-mail if you want to think of it that way. You have a number or e-mail address, when someone wants to contact you they send a message to the number or e-mail address. Texting is really e-mail on the go.
I feel terrible for Mitch, with his mother losing her voice due to illness, and he does really nail you with the sentence - 'The only thing worse than missing a loved one’s voice is to have barely heard it at all.' It justs hits you right in the heart, making you feel terrible. Mitch has the perfect argument against texting, but as I have said kids and teens still use the mouths they have had all of their lives. If you ask anyone anywhere really I would bet that at least 8 out of 10 people would say that they communicate with family and friends with texting, but also with verbal communication. Texting is the new way of communication, but verbal (talking aloud) communication will never stop, nor will it ever be less important then a text.
Keep Texting Under Control
I think that texting can be an issue if I allow it to reach that point. I don't text nearly as much as some of my friends, but I do think it is a great way of communicating. There are many situations when I can't answer a phone call, but I can answer a text message. I don't think that texting keeps you from regular face to face conversations, I actually believe that texting initiates it. When I text my friends the conversation usually results in them coming over my house, or me going to theirs. Texting can also link me to people who I don't see quite as often. I can talk to my brother at college on a daily basis, but texting makes it less of an actual burden to out busy schedules. Don't get me wrong; I mean I still make calls to people, but texting is much more efficient.
Texting can also negatively affect me in many ways. Every now and then I will catch myself using abbreviations in a piece of formal writing. That's when I really stop myself and think: Is this what texting has really done to me? I understand what the article is saying about losing the sense of familiarity when texting someone. You never really know that the person you are texting is really them. There have been times when I thought I was texting one friend, but it happens to be someone else. I make and receive phone calls all day. I also have to say that those calls usually come from my grandparents, who don't really know how to text or email. I believe that texting can be a great thing, but I also thing that it can be an issue if that is all you do. Barley ever making calls isn't a good thing, but barley ever texting can also be a bad thing. I believe that texting makes me more social and that is a very important aspect to my life.
Communicating with more than one person at at time
Mitch Albom says that texting is bad because we are losing our face to face communication. He believes this is a bad thing. He says we are starting to not hear our loved one talk and we will one day forget their voice or have very little memory of that. http://personal.crocodoc.com/ApaB0SM
Not true. You see your family every day and if your in the next room you don't need to text then but when your at a party or out with friends you don't pick up the phone, but you will answer a text cause you can still talk to your friends while texting not while calling.
Also say someone is in your house texting could one day help cause maybe one day you can text 911 and communicate that way so you don't have to talk and stay hidden. Texting is new technology and maybe in a few years texting will be old and out of date. Technology never lasts in the spotlight long. Every year there is a new and better piece of technology and everybody wants that and forgets about last years technology which was once ground breaking.
I personally use texting everyday. It's a way to communicate with my friends who are somewhere where they can't talk on the phone. I still talk to my friends everyday and I don't feel like I'm losing my face to face communication on a daily basis.
Also my mom works in a hospital and she can't talk on the phone in work. When I text her she can text me back and not get in trouble for talking on the phone. Same goes for my Dad. I can't reach him by phone when he is working so I can text him and he can respond without stopping his work to listen to my voice over the phone. Texting is how kids and parents can communicate while still listening to other people and it helps everyday life.
Texting is Good
Whoever wrote this http://personal.crocodoc.com/ApaB0SM has the wrong idea. Texting is a good thing, it helps kids learn how to multi task. For example, a kid could be doing his doing his homework at the same time. Why is that a bad thing? Also, it saves a lot of time. For example, let's say you have to send to send in your report to your boss, and then you call him but the line is busy. In that case you're pretty much done. But if you text him or send it over to him using your cellphone, things work out much better for everyone.
You say that you miss hearing people's voice, and you'd rather get a call instead of a text. But did you know cellphones actually call people too? Just because you don't like texting doesn't mean you have to completely give up on this generation. Also, you say that kid's don't pick up their cell phones, which is completely true, when my parents call me I never pick up my phone. But texting is sure way to get through to your kid. A call can be ignored, a call might be missed. But when you receive a text, you always go back to it, it will always be there. That is exactly why texting is better for everyone.
Texting HAS brought people together.
I must disagree with the author of this article: http://personal.crocodoc.com/ApaB0SM Texting HAS brought people together in fact. With texting, you can easily ask your friends a question. Over the past couple years, texting (instant messaging) has gradually become more and more popular. Inventions such as the Iphone, Galaxy S, and the Blackberry have all made the lives of people easier. With a couple seconds of effort, you can ask someone " What time should you pick me up", or " How long can I stay?" Compared to if you were to call someone, the call would take longer.
Texting and social websites have made people become friends with people that they wouldn't have if they had to call them. For me, texting is a lot easier. When I am at my friends house and I need to know when my mom/dad is picking me up, I can (rather than calling) text them instantly on my Iphone. Also, texting can prevent accidents. In drastic cases, texting can save lives. Not speaking into the phone can be much better.
In the article, it said the average was 2,750 texts a month. That's an average. Some people text a lot more, while other people text a lot less. This situation isn't causing a big problem. If anything, it's making life easier. Rather than calling, you can just simply click a few buttons and text.
Teenagers aren't the only ones who text.
I think that texting is a good thing, I don't really see why it is bad. What if you need to talk to someone about something personal and all your friends are around? Everyone says that teens text way to much but the fact is, that we all text not just teens and so what kids have ore friends then adults and we like to keep in touch with each other so we text instead of calling. Texting is easier too. We don't text that much trust me. 2,750 texts per month and 88 texts per day isn't that bad, I personally don't think that's a lot.
Another thing that bothers me is how everyone says it's all the teenagers that text the most well that might be true but we are certainly not the only ones who text. My parents text me all the time when I'm out to see if I am okay or if I need I ride or something but they call me if it's important. So no I don't think that we text to much. Maybe some kids do but the majority of teens don't really text that much. We all have to communicate to friends to make plans and texting is way easier.
Reference: http://personal.crocodoc.com/ApaB0SM
Face it, Mitch. This is the new generation.
I don't agree with Mitch at all in his article, http://personal.crocodoc.com/ApaB0SM . He has been raised in a totally different lifetime then kids. He may find it weird to send all those messages in 1 day, but that's just how our generation is.
Texting makes it much easier to communicate and talk to your friends. When your on vacation, you cant communicate face to face with your friend, so what do you do? You text. Texting helps people communicate. You can't always see your friends face to face, and you can't always talk to your friends, but texting gets rid of that. Mitch says that teens are losing communication. How is 88 texts a day losing communication? Texting is the new talking, and if your doing it often, your not losing communication, your gaining communication.
Now me personally, I don't send and receive 88 texts a day. Why? Because I like to hang out with friends, but that's just my personal opinion, if you'd rather text, then do it. Texting also makes it more comfortable to someone who you are not comfortable with. Like if you like a girl, it's easier to text them then to go up and talk to them. Texting helps a lot of people, and it wouldn't be the same world without texting.
I do see where Mitch is coming from though. He has an opinion and other people have their opinions as well. Personally I find it a lot easier to communicate, and if anything, people are communicating more! Face it Mitch, this is the new generation, this isn't the 80s, this is just how it is.
Who Needs Texting When You Have a Plethora of Social Networks?
I cannot relate to this subject because it seems that in my situation the thing is I do not own a personal phone. The closest thing to that would be the plethora of social networks that I am a member of.
The worst thing is both of my parents have cell phones and they have texting. Both of my sisters have cell phones. The two of them have received their first personal phone when they were in sixth grade. Now here an eight grade student I am the only one in my family who doesn't have a phone.
The girl in the article http://personal.crocodoc.com/ApaB0SM said that she would sit and argue with her mom to get her mom to do email, while my mom yells at me if I didn't like her status on Facebook.
There are many different moms out there; there is the stay home mom, there is the smart mom, and there my mom. My mom is the one who just found out where the internet was and now she wants to experience all of it.
She is the kind of mom who will go up to you and tell you things that you have already told her because she understands it now. So now I am here with not a lot of way to contact my friends. Welcome to my life.
