Oh No, I did it... Something I have always wanted to avoid. DANG! Texting v. Talking

I love that I don't have a cell phone.

As in--never had a cell phone?

Here is some interesting facts:

1. Some 83% of American adults own cell phones and three-quarters of them (73%) send and receive text messages.

2. Text messaging users send or receive an average of 41.5 messages on a typical day, with the median user sending or receiving 10 texts daily.

3. Cell phone owners make or receive an average of 12 calls on their cells per day.

4. Young adults are the most avid texters by a wide margin. Cell owners between the ages of 18 and 24 exchange an average of 109.5 messages on a normal day.
That works out to almost 7 messages per hour over a 16-hour day, or about one every 9 minutes.

[link to pewresearch.org]

We do not allow texting at the dinner table (or lunch table or breakfast table).

I have a droid and only use it to text friends/family occasionally that live far away.

Husband rarely texts - usually if he gets a text it's business related.

Hello PA resident1,

God's Peace be with you, my friend,

How are you doing?

I hardly text, I prefer talking. I like to "hear" my responses.

A couple of years ago, my favorite sister passed away. We didn't live in the same state, but every now and then I would call her just to hear her voice. Of course we always enjoyed our conversation, my phone bill reflected that, but there was something comforting in just hearing her voice.

Do you know what I mean?

I think it's definitely changing the way we communicate but it will probably be a while before we really realize all the effects. It's hard to say sometimes whether it brings people closer or distances them.
For instance, this friend was talking about how she and her husband met some people on vacation and the people asked for their phone number. They didn't really want to get involved with them so they gave them their email address instead ("we can be pen pals" is what my friend was thinking- it didn't seem as personal and that way they'd be easier to get rid of).

The flip side of that is I knew someone who talked on the phone every few years to keep in touch with someone and when she gave them her email address they started sending long emails all the time. So- in one way they were in touch more, but emailing is less personal. You never know if the person is actually reading everything you say, especially if you get short answers back. So, in a way, it's like talking to yourself.

I don't do any texting and I'm just really not into it. It seems really egotistical that some people are constantly telling other people what they are doing, eating, etc.
Nobody has any privacy anymore. It's like everyone wants to be the star of their own reality show.
I was stopped next to a school bus last year and was amazed that the kids were so quiet until I realized they were all texting. It's weird to me that this whole group of kids were together but not interacting with each other- instead they were communicating with someone not there.

I don't like social networks because it seems like no privacy and a lot of showing off. People end up friend-ing people from their past that they never really even liked that much. Plus, a huge number of divorces are being caused by people finding old girlfriends and boyfriends online. Even if they don't meet and it's just friendly, when their spouse finds out they are contacting an old flame it causes a lot of trouble-but it's just so easy to do, especially if you see them on Facebook or something.
Plus, someone can sit in their family room with spouse and kids and be having cyber sex online or something weird like that. That's one of the really radical changes about society. Then there are those games that people get into a whole fantasy cyber-world.

On MSNBC tonight they showed a toddler playing with a computer and then trying to find buttons to push on a magazine. A lot of babies are growing up being used to seeing their grandparents on Skype. They are even used to seeing themselves on computer videos-sometimes watching themselves watching themselves on a video. That's a mindblower to me but that's how they are growing up.

There are some books that have been written on the subject- even how computers, texting, kindles, etc. are changing our brains and the way we think. Schools are staring to not teach cursive writing anymore and spelling and grammar don't matter as much when the speed of technical information is more important than the way it's written.
It's changing the world a lot, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse.

Good Evening AC,

You bring up a lot of good points here.

For some reason, board games came to mind. I haven't played one in quite awhile. I think I am going to make a point to mention this to my sons--maybe we can start a game night of board games. Sounds like a good idea to me--lots of fun, competitive interaction.

You know what else I realized about myself, I don't write that often anymore--I write out a couple of checks at the end of the month for bills--when I go to write, it is as if I've forgotten how. My writing isn't as neat as it used to be. I think it's because I type all my messages, letters, cards now, so my fingers aren't used to the pen/pencil in my hand.

Well, thanks again for the reply.
God Bless You and enjoy the rest of your evening.