Tuesday, April 29, 2008

RU NOYD 2?

Ok . The texting is driving me nuts. I am feeling OLD everytime I tell a teenager - my own, or at youth group - to: Put. It. Away.
The texting is a magnet for them. A huge 100X stronger than the gravitational pull of the sun magnet.


A friend of mine recently "discovered" why his son has so many text messages each month. "They're having actual conversations," he exclaimed. "There's no 'message' - it's a dialog."

Yes. Yes it is.
In case you haven't experienced the joy yet, let me just share a sample with you. Keep in mind that each line is a separately sent message. (Also - most kids I know don't really use that funky textspeak that you see on commercials. It's too much work to figure out.)

Hey
Hey
What's up?
Nuthin You?
sittin here bored
where you?
math
I'm @ lunch
oh
anything good?
same as usual.


I fear for the social skills of the future.

And if your phone plan counts both outgoing and incoming messages, the above 2 minute "conversation" just cost 11 messages. So you can see how you could easily rack up TWO THOUSAND TEXTS in a month. I mean, 2000 per month is only 66 per day.


And yet, how can you explain their reluctance to JUST STOP messaging, even if I say I'm going to flush that phone down the toilet if I see it again in the next 30 minutes?


The problem is, the technology is evolving so fast that the etiquette can't keep up.

I tell people who are texting, that if it would be rude to TALK to someone else wherever you are, ie: in church, during school classes, at piano lessons, it's probably not appropriate to text either.

But they're having trouble getting it.


So am I, people, so am I.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is so true. I get a little annoyed too about the continual texting. A running friend commented that she couldn't believe her son had 1000 text messages each month. I laughed (and I can now since our plan has unlimitted texting). 1000 is an amatur. My girls average around 4000 per month--each!!! And at least 3800 of them are not SAYING ANYTHING!! "I know, right?"

Vern said...

I'm not there yet with my own kids, but when I went to pick up one of my "girls" for a YW activity it took a couple of minutes for her to stop texting before she turned to acknowledge me. I was very annoyed.

goddessdivine said...

Amen and Amen!!

We don't allow phones at my school, but some of the kids try to sneak them in. And you are so right about the lack of social skills (and spelling!!). I fear for the future.

Melissa said...

I have to agree with you! I watched some kids text during the middle of Sacrament meeting and I thought, "SERIOUSLY? You can't live without that thing for ONE HOUR???"
My kids are young and still don't have phones. I don't know if I will ever get them phones. That might just have to be one of those things that they get on their own when they have a job and can pay for the darn thing themselves.
Am I mean or what?!

Tori :) said...

Yeah- it's pretty ridiculous. Tristan texts me when he's upstairs. "Mom, can I get on the computer?" I'm yelling up the stairs, "Tristan you come down here and TALK to me!!" Sheesh.

Yvonne said...

It's a little frightening when you realize what a tough time they will have in having a "real" conversation.

Tonya said...

How on Earth did we ever manage to get by our teenage years without these technological advances?

It probably won't be long before cell phones are banned from classes etc and good riddance. Keep it in your locker to have for an emergency if needed but that's it.

Super Happy Girl said...

LOL @ Tori's comment!

This is why Fashionista has to "surrender" her cell phone at 9 pm until the next morning and as soon as she gets home from school until after she's done with her chores/homework.

Otherwise she'd be texting with one hand and doing everything else with the other. She's attached to that thing!

Super Happy Girl said...

HEY! When we were youn we didn;t have none of these fangled new things and we survived.

Caroline C. Bingham said...

I'm so glad I live in the stone age. And have kids that don't read yet.

Marie {Make and Takes} said...

I am the worst at texting myself. I guess I am going to have to learn if I plan on "communicating" with my teenagers someday. But in 10 more years, some new annoyance will be invented anyway!

Laurie said...

Tell me about it!! I text my friends if I have a quick question and don't want to have 'small talk' for 5 minutes. But teenagers are seriously getting addicted to it! What ever happened to face-to-face communication?? (Yet, here I am TYPING that question... Hmm....)

Kimberly Vanderhorst said...

So with you on this! And language skills are going right down the toilet as well. It makes me shudder, it hoenstly does.

My kids can have cell phones. After they move out.

Hey It's Di said...

I'm new on your blog but had to comment. I can't stand the kids and texting thing. I had to collect phones when I was at youth activities to stop the texting for at least an hour or so.

Well, little did I know that my daughter racked up 6356 texts in one month! I about killed her! OK, not quite but I was not happy. Thank goodness we had unlimited texting:) Needless to say, she hasn't done even close to that again.

I enjoy your blog:D

Corrine said...

It's all just a fancier more expensive way of passing notes :) I have a binder full of notes from my friends my senior year of high school. I 've thought about publishing it...:)

Marilyn said...

Wait until you get your emails from your missionary with the text lingo mixed in the letters....

Pedaling said...

yes, i am with you on this- i think i will read this post to my kids tonight at dinner! i need backup!
it takes me forever to text, which i do on ocassion to my kids and before i barely put my phone in my pocket i get their reply- just like that- they are quick!

Mrs Andy said...

Texting in Sacrament Meeting? That is tacky! I have never understood the whole world of texting. I even have it blocked on my phone because I kept getting wrong number texts from the same girl, even though I would call her back and tell her every time!

elasticwaistbandlady said...

Ahhh, texting-the victimless crime.

Well, unless you're old like me and your brain explodes trying to decipher the text shortcut lingo stuff.

Whitney said...

I really like to text, although I never did it during church or anything. I can't rack up 2000 texts. No way! My cousin got over 8000 one month, when she told me I about died!!! WHAT?!

Nancy Face said...

I hate the whole texting thing, so guess what I did about it? I cancelled the texting plan on our phones, and even blocked all text messages, so we can't receive incoming texts and get charged for them. Lauren probably hates it, but I pretty much don't care...and we are still alive! :0

Nancy Face said...

Zach is in 7th grade and most of his friends have cell phones. Not him! Maybe we'll get him one when he's in high school!

Nancy Face said...

Someone in my family has had WAY more texts in a month than anybody else commenting here, haha! :D