Text Messaging

MedicPrincess

MedicPrincess

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I have a confession. I should probably stand up and say...

"Hi. I'm Princess. I'm addicted to Text Messaging."

Seriously, how many of you find yourself sending a text to someone before you will call them? If someone calls me on the phone, I am only likely to answer and speak with them about 50% of the time. If that same person sends me a text msg to tell me the same thing they would call me over....about 99% of the time they are likely to get a reply.

I would text message my reports to the hospitals if there was a way to do it.

Last month I had just under 2000 incoming messages and right at 1900 outgoing messages. That was a slow month. I am up to about 1800 each for this month.

When I switched to Alltel, my only requirement for my phone was the QWERTY keyboard.... so my thumb doesn't cramp when texting :P

Anyone else find they would rather send a quick text than pick up the phone and have to have the conversation with someone?
 
Definitely.

Plus it's a great way to communicate while at work, while in service but between calls.

Edit: I just ordered a new phone, and I paid an extra 50 dollars just so it would have a QWERTY keyboard.
 
I don't text message much, just several times a day. Somedays I don't text at all, then again I work on the stuff, so I guess I am sick of it.
 
The whole cell-phone/text messaging/Blackberry whateveritis is of the Devil.

In this world we are bombarded every moment with DATA being sent by elsewhere -- keeping us away from our experience of our immediate environment IN THE MOMENT. To add heaps of this INFOCRAP that we then inflict on each other as a substitute for REAL connection will, eventually, drive us into a dependent loneliness that will drive us away from the simple art of being with another human being.

When I walk down the street and see person after person blabbing away on their cells or tripping as they type I realize that there is little chance for us to connect as human beings, for the Digitizer is not present in the same world I am.

A good 80% of what we treat as medics is driven by the dissociation that is felt between the individual and the other humans around him/her: A loss of personal connection to others and the environment.

I'd love you, at the end of your day, to print out the text messages you've received and sent and then tell me where you were and what was happening around you, who you were with and how you were affected by those moments of your life.

Then, tell me about the world you were living in. Were you living in time, or just killing it, and with it the days of your life?

Love,
Firetender
 
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firetender said:
Were you living in time, or just killing it, and with it the days of your life?
Click to expand...

Now that is the best question to ponder concerning the cell phone and text messaging.

It actually applies to any aspect of our lives.
 
i don't text at all. i can have a 30 second phone conversation and get out more than i could if i sent 200 texts. it fights boredom and you can talk to people that you don't want to at your convenience, but that's about it.
 
My biggest pet peeve is when parents are both texting and have their iPODs in their ears while their kids are playing in traffic.

People forget to spend real time with those who are right in front of them. Thus, the skill of face to face communication is lost.
 
Sorry, I don't get it. Why would anyone want to waste the time of text messaging, when one could just call or even ask in person? I have seen people sitting side by side texting..? It makes NO sense!.. seriously.

Want to see a nation of illiterates that fail to be able to communicate verbally? Just wait...

Try to carry on a verbal conversation with many of those of ages < 30 and see what occurs. Notice the attention span and then watch how many times you are interrupted for someone to have t-e-x-t something back immediately!.. and no it is not an emergency.. it's an addiction.

Now, I realize I am getting senile, but seriously folks, what is so important? What could you not wait until you reach home and discuss verbally? I hear of parents describing having thousands of minutes used texting.. and when one does the mathematics on that .. it comes down to many are texting several hundred times an hour.. and we wonder why they don't have verbal and language skills?

I can understand wanting to inform someone on a quick matter or not wanting to interrupt them on the phone..but to just sit around text all day as I have seen some of my employees do.. geez.. Well, they they get a chance to get busy..
 
if i have something to find out now, i'll call. If its not immediate, I text so they can reply at their convinience. Being at college where sleep hours can be any hour, if its not important I'll text first to make sure i won't wake them if they are asleep. I keep my phone on when asleep so if there is something urgent I can attend to it, but text on vibrate so if its not important now, i'll call you back/text you back later.

Txting saves me from boredom when posted/staged somewhere between runs. I need to go the the library and get some more books!
 
Ridryder911 said:
Sorry, I don't get it. Why would anyone want to waste the time of text messaging, when one could just call or even ask in person? I have seen people sitting side by side texting..? It makes NO sense!.. seriously.

Want to see a nation of illiterates that fail to be able to communicate verbally? Just wait...

Try to carry on a verbal conversation with many of those of ages < 30 and see what occurs. Notice the attention span and then watch how many times you are interrupted for someone to have t-e-x-t something back immediately!.. and no it is not an emergency.. it's an addiction.

Now, I realize I am getting senile, but seriously folks, what is so important? What could you not wait until you reach home and discuss verbally? I hear of parents describing having thousands of minutes used texting.. and when one does the mathematics on that .. it comes down to many are texting several hundred times an hour.. and we wonder why they don't have verbal and language skills?

I can understand wanting to inform someone on a quick matter or not wanting to interrupt them on the phone..but to just sit around text all day as I have seen some of my employees do.. geez.. Well, they they get a chance to get busy..
Click to expand...

I believe that's what separates us over 30 from those younger than 30. Texting is great for sending a little note so as not to interrupt them, or for something that is not that important. However, entire conversations done with texts is completely ludicrous. For it is very difficult to text or type tone of voice. It would be alot easier to actually use tone of voice.

Not to mention the fact that all that texting disassociates you from those with whom you are communicating; all the while losing any grasp of the English language with regards to grammar and mechanics.

They end up not knowing their own language.
 
At the end of the school year I organized a students vs. staff basketball game. The email read, "During the halftime there will be a students vs. staff tug-of-war, bicycle relay, and text-message-a-thon (jk idk lol). I got about 30 emails back asking where the vowels go in the last three words.

Kids these days!
 
I love my text messaging; close to 2300 mesages a month. LOL
 
...at least there are some left who haven't been replaced by the Pods!

(OMIGOD!: IPods and the Pods that replaced the people in...what the hell was the name of that 1950's flick -- got re-made, too)
 
i do have to say this however. text is really good when asking someone for directions...that way you don't have to write them down and they are stored in your phone.
 
mikeylikesit said:
i do have to say this however. text is really good when asking someone for directions...that way you don't have to write them down and they are stored in your phone.
Click to expand...
I use text messaging to remember where I parked!
 
MMiz said:
I use text messaging to remember where I parked!
Click to expand...


Okay... now THAT is funny!!!! And proves.... no matter what the age may say... your mind is worse off than mine!! :P:P:P
 
firetender said:
...at least there are some left who haven't been replaced by the Pods!

(OMIGOD!: IPods and the Pods that replaced the people in...what the hell was the name of that 1950's flick -- got re-made, too)
Click to expand...


Invasion of the body snatchers!!
 
firetender said:
...at least there are some left who haven't been replaced by the Pods!

(OMIGOD!: IPods and the Pods that replaced the people in...what the hell was the name of that 1950's flick -- got re-made, too)
Click to expand...

I will admit, I'm a texting fiend and I can text like the wind, but I did draw the line on what I use my phone for. I have one of those snazzy LG Chocolates which you can load up to like 2G of music on, but I also have one of those 80G iPods videos (I wanted the standard size with video capability, but I really didn't want such a big one, but Apple discontinued anything with less memory). I live with my iPod, so I was in no need for music or games or other crap on my phone.

But for you "older" folks who don't understand the whole texting thing, here's a great case in point. Right now I'm in classes that last almost 3 hours (that's a summer course for yah) so I don't get the chance to pick up my phone for that long if anyone has called me. If something really important were to happen (my granddad is pretty frail, for example), someone in my family would be able to text me and I could go home then instead of waiting til the end of the class.

Also, my friend and I found out that there are some places where you can't call, but where DATA is available (rhan, feel free to explain, because I don't quite get it), so calls are out but texts are in.
 
Speaking as one of the 'old folks' I love texting.

I have unlimited texting on my phone and I text often. I'm not a fanatic about it, but its easier to send my oldest a reminder about his dental check up in text with the phone # to make the appointment himself than it is to listen to him whine about how he'd rather I did it.

It has its place. Its just a tool. Text messaging is a form of connection and communication. Firetender, can you not 'be in the moment' while texting? Be fully present in the texting! Text with awareness!
 
I'm not a fan of texting. I only do it if I need to send a message to someone and I'm trying not to distract people around me. I much prefer to call and talk to them or talk face to face if possible.

I think a lot of my bias against it has to do with the youth in my church who text ALL the time. They try to bring their phones to class, to camp, everywhere they go....as if they'd die without it. I tell them "Teenagers have grown up for thousands of years without texting, I think you'll live without it for an hour (or a week in the case of camp)."
 
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