Hooked on "Tronics"

Hooked on “Tronics”

As technology progresses the dynamics of how people communicate with one another has begun to make significant changes as well. At the beginning of 2009, 72% of cell phone owners had a text-messaging plan on their phone. That equates to approximately 200 million Americans with texting plans. About 2.3 billion text messages are sent each day, making it an essential part of most Americans’ lives. There are 75 billion text messages are sent every single month. Currently 13-17 year olds sent and received almost 2,000 messages a month and 20,000 a year on average. Although convenient, texting is making relationships impersonal and complicated and limiting face-to-face communication, resulting in broken and strained relationships.

Texting allows users to create a false façade for themselves which can consequently grant the ability for anyone to become anything, to morph into something they are not. Behind the safety of a LCD screen in an electronic safe zone users can portray emotions they may or may not truly be feeling. Texting is a way of communicating that does not allow the receiver to differentiate between sarcasm and realism. Between blatant cruelty and honesty and between manipulation and naivety. Contrary to face to face communication texting allows each individual time to think of witty comebacks and banter that they may not be able to come up with on the spot. Even lying can feel harmless when you can not see its repercussions. It has become a commonality to say things that would not normally be said in person because behind a text you can be confident and relaxed no matter how vulgar or polite the message may be. What would not be said in person suddenly will be said through a text instead.

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...ing into “No phones in the car” and beyond. Texting has become an easy option for a difficult situation.

True to form, the pandemic is spreading; this generation is getting mobile phones at younger and younger ages. Teenagers seemingly cannot live without them, and if they were forced to surrender their mobile connections it would lead to ultimate social demise. Our parents didn’t have cell phones at our age, and our grandparents didn’t have phones at our parent’s age. Why all of a sudden are these devises so vital to our survival? And what is next?

Texting is making relationships impersonal and vague. The lack of facial expression and voice inflections makes it too easy to forget that we are talking to human beings. These devices are defining teenagers in new ways. While convenient, texting is sabotaging the deeper meanings of the intimate relationship.