cell phone crazy texting

Iysha - posted on 01/05/2011

I'm a "texter" and I love it because I dont have to call and say, "Hi. How are you? What are you up to today? Oh, cool, well, hey...I wanted to know if you could go with me to the mall to pick out something to get my little cousin for his birthday on Sunday. Yup, Jordan's kid....he's turning two. It's at the park. The one on Main St. I dont know exactly when it starts. I think he's a size 3T. Okay, yeah...we can go to Macy's too." All I have to do is text "wanna go 2 da mall wit me on sun?" and that's that...I dont have to go throught he greetings, I dont have to hold the conversation that I am having to call someone else, I can have 5 different ones at the same time! BTW, I have a certificate for communications and know how to speak properly and write properly...texting does not mean you're dumb or make you illiterate =] Like Kristine said, it's a cool, relatively new technology. So is having internet on cell phones and being able to speak into a phone and have it dial the number for you...why not use that technology? Texting doesn't mean that your child wont learn to write well or learn to have excellent verbal skills, they are actually going to learn how to communicate in a different way than just verbally like people had to before texting. It really isn't much different than email or IM, just faster because everyone has their own mini computer in their jeans pocket

Candy - posted on 12/27/2010

Because their parents pay for it and want take it away from the child. It is the children losing out because like you said they a losing vital skills.

Kristina - posted on 12/27/2010

My husband and I feel the same way about texting and verbal communication. My SD refuses to call us instead she sends us texts all the time. It is very impersonal and hard to get her to understand that we want to hear her voice. Her grades have gone downhill. We used to provide her phone but when we put limits on the number of texts and hours of the day that she could use her phone. She "lost" her phone and mom went and get her a new one. If she is angry or upset with anyone in the family, she shuts herself in her room and texts friends, whoever, the whole time she is with us. Not sure how to handle the phone issues when mom provides the phone. If she has a problem or needs to tell us something, she waits until she leaves and then texts us. She just turned 16 and acts like she can do whatever she wants whenever she wants and the phone only compounds the issue. I feel teenagers use their cell phones and technology to discuss things with their friends and get their friends to reiterate their feelings. We have 3 teenagers, a tween and a 5 year old (a family of his/hers and ours) and all of them that have phones at times run to their phones to text BM or BD to get the "back up" they need to justify their behavior. I do remember as a kid telling my friends when I was mad at my parents. However, when I was grounded from the phone, I had time to cool down before I got that instant encouragement from friends. Usually it gave me time to really look at what happened and maybe just maybe concede that I had done something wrong.

Kristine - posted on 01/27/2009

Because it is cool new technology. What did you do as a kid because it was new and fun that drove your mom up a wall?

We don't pay for texting on our sons phone usually. We changed the plan when we went to DC for the inauguration. Next month it will be gone.

It is affecting the kids, I see it in their school papers at work. Kids forget how to spell simple words and instead write the text shorthand version like "UR"

Angela - posted on 01/02/2009

Texting is a HUGE problem with my 16 year old. We have unlimited text on our plan and she has gone completely overboard. 10,000 texts in one month. I agree to meet them where they are as Jenni suggested, but when is enough, enough? I have limited my daughters cell phone usage to 4pm-9pm due to texting during school hours and and beffore school at like 445 in the morning. It is getting better but it is crazy. My husband and I do a lot of texting back and forth due to that being the only way to talk during the day while we are both at work, but no where near the 10,000 texts a month that my daughter is using.

Bethany - posted on 01/02/2009

the one thing I can say about "arguing" via email is that sometimes when one or both people are so upset, talking in person or on the phone is going to make it worse... the reason being because you start talking about how you feel & the other person interrupts because they don't agree or it prompts a thought in them, then you lose track of what you were trying to say & respond to them & pretty soon you're arguing about something totally unrelated to what you were really hurt about to begin with. when you email, just like writing a letter, you can read & reread what you've written before sending it to make sure it's what you mean to say... it's the focus of what is bothering you. then the other person gets their turn (without interruption) to respond to you. sometimes it's the best way to really get everything out that is bothering you & then once you both cool down a bit it's good to ALWAYS follow up with a face to face talk. i do think that writing what you feel first though is sometimes a really helpful tool for moving past your hurt & helping the other person understand you.

Jenni - posted on 01/02/2009

Hi Bethany. I have a 20 year old and I have counseled her about having "arguments" via computer or texting. It doesn't make sense to do that, because so many things can be misperceived. In fact, I have talked to several of the teens I work with about this. Not only do they miscommunicate, but they are trying to avoid the feelings of confrontation when they are upset. My goal is to show kids I come in contact with that they are loved by God and cared about by adults. Anyway, just wanted to say "agreed!"

Bethany - posted on 01/02/2009

I don't really understand it either... it's not just teens & preteens....even into 20's & early 30's. I don't know if it's because it's the next "big thing" kindof like the internet & "Chat" rooms were back in the day.
Part of it is about being able to act differently than you could in person I think... maybe your personality isn't as bold or crazy as you wish in person but you can be via text/facebook/chat rooms because the people "hearing" you aren't really hearing you. They're just reading you. Also, I think a lot of times don't want to spend a lot of time chitty chatting... they just want to say a few things & move on. If you called all those people it would take all day but you can text 20 people in a couple hrs! It is a disappointment though to see our next generation's vital VERBAL communication skills - and really therefore pure HONESTY - slipping away. There's nothing like talking in person to keep you honest with yourself & the people you are talking with. You can't hide your eyes, your emotions, etc... when they hear the words come out of your mouth & see your face & eyes as you speak....

Jenni - posted on 01/01/2009

I agree with you, but I am also a coach for the student ministries at our church. I work with junior and senior high kids. One of the key ways for me to connect with these kids as well as my own is to meet them where they are at. So, I do text and facebook with them. However, I also call them and invite them out for breakfast, lunch, starbucks run ... whatever. Since I make myself a part of their world, they seem to enjoy making themselves a part of mine.

Happy New Year!