Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Texting shmexting

I used to feel a little outdated that Ryan and I didn't text. But I didn't care because we didn't really like it and we didn't really see the point. We had our theories - like we never really got into it because we weren't dating when it became so huge, and after that, what real need is there? It seems to be everyone's major mode of flirting, getting to know each other, chicken way of asking out on dates, etc. I already had a mate, what need did I have to be coy or abbreviationally savvy, sharing TMI with all my BFFs about stuff that was NBD? Seriously, SSINF. *

Well, a month ago I decided to turn on texting because of the number of friends I have that text. Well, the verdict is in: dumb. I will tell you right now, I have never had so many tiffs, misunderstandings, etc., as I have in the past month. If we're on the phone? Tone of voice can tell me what you mean. Misunderstanding? Cleared up in 1/2 a second. But texting? Time to analyze. Time to stew. Time to read too much into words and too much time to wait inbetween clarifications, if there are any. Time to accidentally send your message to the wrong person. And besides that whole lack of face-to-face interaction, it just takes way more time altogether than the same conversation would on the phone. Plus the fact that I'm no rapid-fire texter. I totally laugh when I spend 5 minutes typing in a text only to have it replied to in 10 seconds or less.

I can see it's uses in some situations. When you can't talk out loud for instance, or need to send some info that you want written down anyway. I could send Ryan a quick message at work that he just needed to read when he can't talk (if he would text, which he still won't anyway). To send a cute up-to-the-minute picture of the boys to their aunt via phone. But not to have regular conversations. I just feel like it's kind of a lame cop-out for that.

So call me old fashioned, but this one is not for me. Another technological update that I don't think is all that beneficial. I know, I'm such a heretic.


(Too much information, best friends forever, no big deal, so stupid it's not funny.)

20 comments:

Tennille said...

I'll never be the rapid-fire texter that my sister-in-law is. She can do it without even looking at her screen.

It is great for messaging people when they're at work or in meetings.

Jenilee said...

I have to say that I agree. I do text some, but I am so slow I just usually end up calling instead.

H. said...

Thank you for the abbreviations because I only knew 1 or 2. I haven't tried it, but I haven't really needed to anyway. Thanks for making me feel justified in my lack of techno savviness.

LuAnn said...

Welcome to the texting world. Have you figured out T9 yet? If not you should really soon. That might make it easier...even if it freaks you out at first. I don't know what I'd do without texting. I love that I can ask 5 people if they want to meet at the park in 15 minutes with a quick text.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I agree that the main benefit of texting lies in the subtle nuances of the dating game. I can see how it would have been exciting back then. Heck, it would have been exciting if EVERYONE alive on the planet had their own personal cell phone back then, too. No going through the awkward channel of parents. :) Uh. . . I guess that is a downside now that I am a parent.

Anonymous said...

How funny! Text 5 people and be to the park in 15 minutes. That's great. Yesterday I had to get out the old list and call everyone and have phone calls coming in, doorbells ringing, kids asking questions. . . At the same time had a major misunderstanding with friends this last weekend. Not because of texting really, but face to face is hard enough. Can't imagine how complicated it could have gotten via texting.

Julie M. said...

I hate texting. It's annoying. Maybe I just am too slow, and really out of the loop with it? My brother had over 15,000 on his last bill. Excessive much?

Shannon said...

LOL. So annoying to me those abbreviations.

Goeb Life said...

I totally agree with you. I had to get a new phone because my old crappy one was stolen out of my stroller. It is a slide phone because I hate flip phones. I guess it has the "qwerty" keyboard that is all the rage in texting. I have added a basic text package to our plan because people text us and we have to pay for it anyway. This is a case of if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, begrudgingly.

Anonymous said...

When I heard them spelling OMG in a child's movie ad, it really turned me off!

It gets so I want to ask my adult grandchildren to leave their cell phones in the car, because of their texting while visiting grandma.

xoxocyh

Gavin and Shawna said...

texting? what is that?? for real, i am so over it. gav uses it for his surf updates and surf bros that dont enjoy more than 4 word conversations anyhow.....but us women have much more important things to say. And we are more...read into type...which means just freakin' call me=))

Kimi said...

We text in china because it is cheaper. Our phone plane here is pay by the minute and texting is free. Otherwise, I agree with you. I would much rather get it over with in a short phone call.

Jess said...

I hate it also. We do not have texting even in our cellphone plan.
The only person I text is my 20 year-old sister. It is the only way to really get through to her. But, it takes me forver to type out each text.
Oh well. Hopefully, it'll be a phase and go away after a few years(yeah right!).
I just wish people wouldn't text other people while they are sitting there with another person. I always feel like they are texting, "Get me out of here, I'm so bored."

The Bostons said...

I AGREE!!! I laugh when my sisters/the youth are texting back and forth- and they do it SO FAST! I would rather pay the 10 or 15 cents and just text when I absolutely have to!

Laurie said...

Talk about Drama caused by texting...We have kept Cait out of it and proved to be a very good thing this last week that she wasn't involved. People don't spend enough time face to face. I like being out of it.

Melanie said...

Maybe Im just showing my age but I too dislike texting. I see people texting in the funniest places. Yesterday this girl was going a hundred miles and hour on the eliptical at the gym and texting at the same speed. What was she taking? I saw a guy texting and driving! Scary!
My sister texts on the sly. She holds her phone down by her hip and texts. It feels very sneaky. dont like it. Oh well. Every generation has a way of baffling the older generation and driving us crazy.

Lima Bean said...

Agreed. Jeff and I still only have one cellphone between us (that his parents pay for on their family plan and he always has it) so I'm really out of date because I can only be reached on a land line. GASP!

Marci said...

hmmm, I think I have to agree/disagree. Like most technological advances, they are devised to improve and speed up our lives, but get used as time wasters by 98% of the public. For months, I've been watching our phone bill to see if it would be worth adding a texting package ($5/mo) because, even if I don't initiate it, I still have to pay for someone else texting me. But Corey finally pushed me over the edge of that decision, by accident. He filled out a stupid questionaire on facebook, then put my # in because the results were going to be texted back to him and my phone was the closest to him. Since then, I get random ads texted to me nearly every day and can't prevent them. So he "gave in" to me and added the package to our phone. I definitely text more now that I don't have to think about paying a dime everytime I don't want to get into a real conversation with someone, but I can't get into using abbreviations or poor punctuation, so it takes me some time to text. I think it's replaced email for me from back in the day when I sat infront of a computer all day long and was able to communicate with people that way. Nowadays, Corey has to call me to tell me to check my email because he's sent me a list or an idea, or just a thought that he wants to share without having to talk to me 74 times a day. I don't get caught up in any texting drama, because if what's being sent warrents real communication, I just dial the person right back and we can talk about it. I guess what I'm saying is that I like texting for passing on small bits of info that I don't need to talk to someone about, and for flirting with my husband. If you take control of how you decide to use technology, it can and most often does improve and speed up our lives. (Whoa! Sorry, I haven't talked to real people for a couple of days, so I just went off a little there)
By the way, thanks for the info on your drama breech birth. I actually browsed back in your history when I found this out so I could read what you wrote when you had the twins. I'm scheduled for an ECV on Wednesday, but am just tempted to cancel and schedule the c-section, as I have little doubt that is how things will end up anyway. Weather is beautiful this week in Milwaukee, must mean you're headed back into the steamy months. I'm really sorry, because the humidity here is sometimes more than I can handle, I can hardly imagine what Florida must be like. Good luck, Curly!

Krista said...

thanks for the meaning of all those abbreviations! You make me laugh. I also agree with you 100% on this.

Shauna said...

I love texting and actually get annoyed, when people don't have texting! Remember back in the day, when certain people (chy...didn't have voice mail?) and by the time you could get a message to that person, what you wanted to say didn't matter anymore?....ANNOYING! I started to text because my kids (chy's oldest grandchildren) comunicate that way often. I have found that we (my children and I) have even more ways to stay in touch now in this busy world. I can send a text in 5 seconds to my kids and have an answer back even quicker..... mean time everyone at work thinks I am looking up some kind of medication or going to the storage room for a bandaid :) SWEET! TTYL