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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
ANALYSIS The author’s purpose is to persuade the reader to learn how to control the use of smartphones and involve more in face-to-face conversation rather than chat online “It is not giving up our phones but about using them with greater intention” (Turker). She notices that many people do not really pay attention when it comes to face-to-face conversation because they get used to playing the phones. In the article, she gives out many details and examples to support her position, her sources are reliable. She points out a lot of facts from her own experiences and other’s interviews to prove the problems that are caused by texting that people do not even realize. She then argues how the smartphone is a psychological device that changes what we do and who we are.
The use of cell phones (text messaging) is a source of conflict and rule making in relationships (Duran, Kelly & Rotaru, 2011). The use of text messaging depends on the interpersonal relationship between the sender and receiver. Proper use of text messaging involves the ability of an individual to overcome the limitations and their personal construction and understanding of the nature of the message. The interpretations and assumptions an individual makes about the outcomes of the message also contribute to the understanding of the message. These different interpretations of the messages consist of the Attribution Theory, Errors in Interpretation, and Ineffective interpretation.
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.
A recent outbreak in teen texting is taking a toll on their daily lives. Many teenagers have cell phones. Their parents get them phones for their safety and well-being, but is that what teens really use them for? I for one know that I rarely call my parents or use my phone for important reasons. Most of the time, I’m scrolling through Instagram and snapchat, to keep up with everyone that I will see in less than a day. The editorial from The Jersey Journal, called Teens are going to extremes with texting, informs the common people of the statistics of teen texting. The editorials main argument is communicating the excessiveness of teen texting. The author develops this point through expert uses of word choice, but also extreme examples and statistics.
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.
My advice to those who remain skeptical is to view the matter differently and think about the positive that can come from this “new” form of communication, versus the negative. Everything will always have a little of both, so it comes down to perception and how you chose to look at it. If used efficiently, text messaging can spark ingenuity into the minds of messengers and can convey content-heavy messages without all the messy nonverbals lurking around. What if we as a society had banned the printing press when it first arrived because we believed it to be, as Crystal adds, “the invention of the devil because it would put false opinions into people’s minds”? There will come a time when we will laugh at the ridiculous opposition that met text messaging, as we presently do about telephones and the printing press long ago.
In the article “The Rule of Thumbs” Moore discusses the use of text messages in a romantic relationship. Also, she points out the negative effects that the new generation of technology has had on today 's relationships and she clearly gives her thoughts on how technology interferes with today 's relationships, with the consequences that technology is slowly killing romance. This essay expresses many strong points about the use of texting and I lean towards Natalie Moore’s opinion because texting has strongly changed the way we communicate, unite, and become literate. After all, while analyzing the role that text messaging demonstrates for communication today, it has open four main arguable points that if it is discussed it would be easy to realize that texting is a hard issue overcome. In other words, texting not only has become part of our life today and it has reduced face to face interaction, but also texting has destroyed dating and the way people write or communicate to one
Texting however keeps people at arm’s length and prevents relationships from getting past a certain level of rapport. Text messages help people create distance between them and another person. This distance can lead to many things, like lost friendship. Friendships can be lost in text messages because of tone. I was texting my sister one day, who types in all capital letters, and finally halfway through the conversation I asked her why she was yelling at me, because that is how I was reading them, as me being yelled at. When she responded she was very confused, and told me that she didn’t realize that she had been yelling at me and was sorry. This can happen to anybody. People can confuse tone in text messages, and that can lead to one person arguing with someone who has no idea that they are in a fight. Text messages are also used by people to purposely keep others away from them, and by some it is used to hide. Alice G Walton, a science journalist with a Ph.D. in Biopsychology and Behavioral Neuroscience says, “People like to text because the message gives them the ability to hide,” (Walton). It is like the saying “a drunken mind speaks a sober heart,” When people are drunk they hide behind being it, and use alcohol as their mask, but when they are texting, it’s the phone. They are able to say what they would like, without having to actually face the person they are talking to, and
“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.
The research will determine how text messages can be promoted for learning and literacy and the effect it will have on minors.The effects of the perceived decline of teenagers literacy due to limited frequency in uses via messaging such as texting, email, instant messaging and direct messing.The finding will come from articles, interviews and surveys that shows and tell the results of text messaging when it is being used and the right time to text.Texting is not always the cause of inclining and declining literacy rates, but it can be used to help literacy as well as increase teen and childhood performance in classrooms.
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?
It’s impossible to walk around the streets without seeing someone texting. The World Bank says, “Three quarters of people on earth have access to a mobile phone.” Cell phones are a part of our everyday lives. Our society is obsessed with communication. Technology has some positives and negatives.
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.
The question of young people and cell phone use and texting causing young people to be less able to concentrate and focus has always been a difficult one to answer. Technology gives teenagers so much but includes many drawbacks. Cell phone use and texting has it’s advantages such as teachers embracing tech,uses for educational purposes, and easy to use;however,some drawbacks are as socializing,time away from homework,and bad communication skills.
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