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how text messaging has changed communication
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Text messaging is a very controversial subject in our society, possibly even in other cultures. Some complain that texting is overused and abused while others praise the most recent developments and upgrades of texting. The pervasive use of text messaging in today’s society has many facets; however, the bad is said to outweigh the good. Any individual’s perspective on the issue will most likely depend on their age group or social class. For example, a fifteen year old would appreciate the convenience and speed of text messaging but a fifty year old would most likely not need the texting function on their cell phone; therefore, the speed and convenience of text messaging would become irrelevant.
Mobile-based coordination, as Ling calls it, has quite a few advantages. One of those said advantages is quick and efficient communication. “Mobile coordination can increase the efficiency of planning meetings since the meetings can be renegotiated and redirected in real time (Townsend 2000; Ling and Hadden 2001; Cooper et al. 2002)” (Ling 76). Faster communication can help coordinate events and spread information throughout a wide variety of people in a short amount of time. Also, with the compact size of cell phones, anyone can carry out these actions in a discreet and stealthy manner. All in all, text messaging has some significant advantages.
There is a gap between the older and younger generations of our culture. The younger generations communicate mainly through text messaging and the web which leads to a lack of verbal and face to face communication skills. Those who are older or who were not introduced to text messaging until the middle of their life rely on verbal and face to face communication to carry out the tasks or funct...
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...o prevent these tragic events from occurring.
As anyone can see from the examples provided in the paragraphs above, the bad aspects of text messaging definitely outweigh the good aspects. One must not misuse their mobile device and always practice texting in a proper and appropriate way or there could be serious consequences. Texting will most likely continue to prevail as a dominant foundation of communication in the current generation but hopefully the latter generations will learn to be more cautious with the use of cellular devices.
Works Cited
Ling, Rich. The Mobile Connection: The Cell Phone’s Impact on Society. California: Morgan Kauffman
Publishers, 2004. Print.
Emily. Textually. 22 December 2008. Web. 10 October 2011.
Inbar, Michael. Today. 2 December 2009. Web. 10 October 2011.
Txt Responsibly. 25 September 2010. Web. 11 October 2011
In our world there are many forms of communication and these devices are beginning to take a toll on our younger generations. In Jeffery Kluger’s article,” We Never Talk Anymore: The Problem with Text Messaging,” the idea that younger generations are becoming socially inept due to technology is discussed. As these younger generations consume texting as a main form of communication other important social skills deteriate.
Text messaging has become a norm in our generation, as technology rapidly advances and gives way to more efficient forms of communication in a fast-paced world; and many are skeptical about the influence this new form of interaction is having on our society, especially with our younger generation. David Crystal, a professor at the University of Wales, writes “2b or Not 2b?” in support of text messaging. He insists, despite those who underestimate or negate the beneficial influence text messaging has on language proficiency, that “there is increasing evidence that [texting] helps rather than hinders literacy” and that the fairly recent form of communication has actually been around for a while and “is merely the latest manifestation of the human ability to be linguistically creative and to adopt language to suit the demands of diverse settings. In contrast, Jeffery Kluger argues in “We Never Talk Anymore: The Problem with Text Messaging” that text messaging is rapidly becoming a substitute for more genuine forms of communication and is resulting in difficulty among young peoples of our generation to hold a face-to-face conversation, engage in significant nonverbal expression, and ultimately build effective relationships with family, friends and co-workers. Both writers’ present valid arguments, however, my personal experience with text messaging has led me to agree more with Crystal’s view on the matter. Text messaging is indeed having a positive effect on society by making frequent texters primarily aware of the need to be understood, as well as offering betterment of spelling and writing through practice, and reinventing and expanding on a bygone dimension of our language through the use of rebuses and abbreviations.
One of the things that cell phones have changed drastically is the way we communicate with others. With the birth of cell phones eventually came the invention of text messaging, or “texting.” Texting is sending simple messages over the air to another cell phone. People these days, especially the younger generation, find it much easier and quicker to text a person rather than call them or talk to them face to face. “Text messaging is the premier choice” says Jaletta Desmond, an expert on how cell phones have changed us over time. The reason why most of the younger generation prefers texting rather than talking is because they don’t value talking out loud one on one as much as the older generation does. Another reason why texting is the first choice for most people is that it gives a sense of privacy. No one can put their ear to the door and hear your texting conversation. In this day in age, we’ve made it nearly impossible to get in touch with others without having a cell phone on you. Cell phones have just become p...
These teens tended to score lower on literacy tests than those that did not (Plester, Wood, Bell 143). It was also observed that high texters scored lower on verbal and non-verbal reasoning than those who do not text and minimal texters (Plester, Wood, Bell 140). Results from studies on texting indicated an overall negative effect on literacy test results (Verheijen 595). It has been suggested that students are not distinguishing between informal and formal environments and are texting at the wrong times and places (Verheijen 587). The general message that the media sends about the effects of texting tend to be rather negative overall. For example, texting and driving is considered very dangerous due to a distracted driver. Many teens are involved in accidents due texting and driving. It was elicited during a study that participants took longer and made more errors when they had to read text messages as opposed to reading Standard English (Kemp and Bushnell 18). Thurlow is quoted saying that texting “signals the slow death of language” and is “a threat to social progress” (qtd. in Verheijen 586). Texting has more of a negative effect on teens’ literacy and could possibly cause the English we use today could become
Today in the Twenty-First century we have surpassed many technological advancements and excelled far past what we would have ever thought. One of our greatest technological advancements is the thing we hold in our hands everyday, our cell phones. Sometimes we don't realize just how much our phones can distract us from our lives. As a generation glued to our phones us teenagers send an average of 3,339 texts per month. In Randy Cohen's essay, “When texting is wrong” he states how we are overcome by texting and how it damages our social and personal lives.
Before watching John McWhorter’s Ted Talk I didn’t really think much about texting language, other than the fact that I use it in my everyday life and can’t remember a time when texting did not exist. My feelings about text messaging reflect both my age and social background. Each one
On the other hand, texting can give people the same sense of reality as a face-to-face conversation. Texting allows people to communicate quickly and ensure their place in reality. The same meaningful message can still be delivered whe...
In recent years texting has become one of the most popular ways to stay in touch with the people around you. Texting is something that occurs every day and almost everyone does it. One of the
In 1973, Motorola released a revolutionary product that forever changed communication and the social culture around the world. This heavy and awkward looking device allowed wireless communication and contributed to the decline of sending letters in the mail or walking to someone’s house to talk (Alfred). We now call this device a cell phone. Since the first cell phone was released in 1973, technological advancements have improved the cell phone’s portability, weight, and compatibility, resulting in roughly 90% of all Americans owning a cell phone (Pew Research). These advancements also helped develop texting, a form of communication that relays messages within seconds. Texting has appealed towards the younger generation, specifically ages 18-24, due to its unique and fast lingo such as “lol” (laugh out loud) and “brb” ( be right back)( Netlingo.com). In a recent survey, over 31% of young adults prefer a text message instead of a voice call (Pew Research). However, calling, a more traditional conversation, remains widely used and is the preferred method of communication for over 51% of young adults (Pew Research). The preferred method of contact might be personal, but calling and texting both have advantages and disadvantages. They differ in convenience, interpretation, privacy, and safety.
Texting could also results in poor performance for job evaluation. According to the article, “Mobile voice communication and loneliness: Cell phone use and the social skills deficit hypothesis”. Cell phones can lead to distraction during work and negative effects on relationships with co-workers. Texting could also cause bad communication and hamper the ability to build relationship with worker. Another problem that texting distracted employee’s work ethic, “ the researchers found that each employee within the private and public sectors of organizations changed the way they interact due to the distraction of the cell phone by alternating their message context, social etiquette, self-impression and the ways of completing work within a business.” The researchers also found that the texting decreased the quality of
Some of the views in this essay are similar to those of Cullington while others are different. Turkle particularly focuses on technology and psychology to support texting. She explains that psychologically, many people find it much easier to open up in private or when hidden than in public. She uses an example of a seventeen years old girl, Elaine who completely hates phone calls. In her essay, she explains that most teenagers and young people are more comfortable and free with texting than phone calls. Because through texting, individuals are able to share their innermost and intimate issue. Technology is also used as a factor contributing to texting. Emails and other messaging application have made many people resort to texting than phone calls due to their flexibility and convenience. Another reason which makes people prefer texting is that it gives people a chance and time to think about a situation before giving their opinion or answer. The essay highlights an explanation on Audrey who is a sixteen years old and is not at all impressed with the idea of her calling. She prefers being texted instead of being called by the
Texting reduces the need for in-depth conversations. Have you texted people as a form of avoidance? A few abbreviated words keeps us meaningful dialogue and face-to-face communication. It also overtakes the importance of body language in everyday conversations. Imagine going into an elevator and on the way in there is a quirky individual that you’ll rather not speak to, but you’ll send back a polite smile as they stare you down. Soon after you’ll pull out your brand new iPhone 6s that your parents got you for
Step onto any college campus and take a look around. You will find clumps of students standing around in circles, phones in hand, typing away. What is it they are doing? Texting. Ever since the first text message was sent in 1993, the use of text messaging as a means of communication has spread like wild fire, especially amongst the adolescent generation. And with this new form of communication a new language has appeared; text-speak, the shortening of common words into abbreviations and acronyms (Drouin 49). While texting and the text-speak language seem to have been welcomed by many, what affect is this new technology having on the way we communicate? Is it possible that texting is negatively affecting our ability to use formal written communication, or is this idea just a myth perpetuated by negative media attention? And what changes has texting brought to the way we communicate person-to person? Are these changes positive, negative, or perhaps a mixture of both?
“Our generation doesn't ring the doorbell. They text or call to say they're outside,” this line is from one of the well-known social networks, Tweeter, which shows how the way of communication has change in this modern life. According to 2013 statistics by Business Insider, in United States alone, smartphone owners aged 18 to 24 send 2,022 texts per month on average — 67 texts on a daily basis — and receive another 1,831 texts (Cocotas). Nowadays, technology such as text messaging has practically replaced traditional face to face communication among the society primarily in young generations because texting allows messages to be sent fast and effortless. In order to quickly type what they are trying to say in text messaging, people are frequently using textspeak; the language created by using abbreviation rather than complete words. Based on this phenomenon, David Crystal, an honorary professor of linguistics at the University of Wales has published an article entitled ‘2b or not 2b?’ in the Guardian on July 5, 2008 comes out with the research and studies that state texting can actually improve the literacy of children and create creativity of writing. However, by observing more critically, texting do decrease a person’s ability to switch between textspeak and the normal rules of grammar and adversely affect formal writing and conversational skills.
Text messaging is damaging our literacy and communication skills as a society. Calling someone on the phone or writing them a letter is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. There is a new language that is being learned and not taught across the globe. It is the language of Textese, and it has quickly consumed the lives of millions across the world. There will always be the protector of language arts. These are the shrinking number of people everyone knows, that will continue to handwrite letters and sign them with proper English and etiquette. It may be as simple as picking up the phone and calling a friend or relative. It may be even simpler than that, in that people put forth an effort to talk to the person sitting next to or across from you and engage them in a conversation. Texting and textisms have become so common and widespread that using proper English, correct spelling, and full sentences is also becoming a thing of the past. People that constantly use text and instant messaging may have difficulty with literacy and expressing themselves in writing form. The research shows that text messaging has deteriorated how we communicate and express ourselves because textisms have become an easier and quicker form of communication that has affected literacy in children and adults.