To text or not to text, that is the question

To text or not to text, that is the question

We live in a digital age. There is no question about that. Some people send over 200 text messages every day.  Some parents have enormous phone bills because of the unlimited number of text messages sent by their children.  Now they have plans with unlimited texting, so the financial impediment to texting is removed for some people.

Let us look at another aspect of the situation.  Time is the next factor.  How much time is taken to text a message? A good typist must really exert to keep up with dictation. Court reporters use a special machine using shorthand to keep up with the spoken word. Thus speed of communication favors the spoken word over the input of texting on a phone. So the argument that it is a faster way to communicate does not hold water.  I have watched some people text and they only send cryptic messages while trying to carry on some other activity. I wonder if they can multi-task that effectively.

The advantage to text over voice is that there is a written record. How many people save their text messages and archive them? I would guess that less than ten percent and that would be high.
What is the reason for communication anyway? I bring up a few reasons why people communicate.
1. To express an opinion
2.To give directions
3. To inform
4. To express love
5. To get information
6. To validate
7. To give praise

The means of communication must be tailored to the task at hand.

I heard recently that two children were sitting in the back of the car. They both had their cell phones in hand. Each was text messaging the other, while sitting next to each other.  There is another case where teenagers were texting each other during sacrament meeting and worst of all during the passing of the sacrament.

I suppose that because one has the means to text that they use this as the excuse to do this as their primary means of communication. " I can do it, so that is the reason. "  For some the newness will never wear off and they will continue to express themselves in this mode.

We as a society seem to have become dissociated from each other and the less personal we are the more dissociated we become.

I can text.  It does not take a lot to learn to do this very simple procedure.

I recently received a text message that required me to answer. By the time that I had completed the back and forth exchange of information 45 minutes had passed.  I was driving in the car. I never text while driving. The next time that this happens I will not respond. The entire exchange of information could have taken three minutes by phone call at a maximum.

In answer to the question above, I choose to talk face to face. If this is not possible, I would rather have a phone conversation. My next preference would be written either on an e- mail or piece of paper.

The absolute best is to converse and then follow with written instructions.