Ok, so I don't think that the media are evil, but they certainly shape the way that we communicate with each other. It all began with face-to-face communication, something not really mediated by a medium of media. Then fast-forward many years and eventually we get the telephone; we now have the ability to communicate across long distances with airwaves and hear people's voices. Then came cell phones, which provide us the opportunity to talk no matter where we are, without a cord.
Text messaging began in the 1990s; with this technology we have the ability to type up messages, or film videos or take pictures, and send them to other via our cell phones. When text messaging first came to be there was a very small number of people using the technology; but, now, according to BBC News, text messaging actually surpasses the amount of phone call conversations, for teens.
A recent study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project has found that over 30% of teens text more than 100 times a day! The study also found that teenagers prefer to text friends over calling them because texting can be, "carried out under the noses of parents, teachers, or other authority figures." So, text messaging does offer a bit more privacy and freedom, which are both highly revered by adolescents.
I am not incredibly surprised by these statistics, though, because I have seen the mass popularity of text-messaging first hand; as a college student I see peers text messaging constantly before classes, after classes, and during classes. However, I do think that text messaging has radically changed the way in which we communicate as a society. One of the important ways technology affects us, that we need to recognize according to Media Society, is through time and space. You see, text messaging has reshaped our view of time; I believe it has only further fueled our desire for fast-paced information and satisfaction. I have only to think that I want to ask a friend what page our homework was on and I can get an immediate response, usually within 5 minutes and even that is long for us today. I think this ability to acquire knowledge and communicate quickly is a blessing and a curse, because it can foster a nasty habit of impatience and actually even a constant sense of anxiety.
Another way technology, and texting in particular, has transformed our society is by teaching us as individuals new ways of communicating and even new manners of talk about things. Media Society references Birkerts, who argues that, "new modes of communication require new ways of receiving and reacting to the content of those communications." I find this statement to be incredibly true in my personal life because I can remember countless times when I have either worried about the content of a text message that I write being misunderstood, because there are no voice inflections or facial expressions for the receiver to use to decode the message, or I worry that I may improperly perceive someone's message myself. Also, text messaging has transformed the way we talk about subjects because it has been a part of creating a new vocabulary, which can be referred to as "textese" or "text speak". The "language" consists primarily of abbreviated words, but these abbreviations and variations have actually trickled into mainstream society conversations, which include face-to-face and over the phone.
I guess the element that concerns me is not the texting itself, but the idea that we may eventually become more inclined to converse via typing on a keyboard and looking at a screen, instead of having face-to-face interactions. I am pretty sure that many have voiced this concern over time, but I would challenge you all out there, and our amazing dedicated readers, to consider how much time you spend looking at your phone.
Do you check it even when it hasn't rung?
Do you check for messages or texts while you are having a conversation,
or hanging out, with someone else in person?
Think about it because, without realizing it, you may be pushing aside some face-to-face relationships.
Don't make your phone a priority! You can survive without, trust me; I lost my phone 2 weeks ago and I am doing ok ha ha.
Cristi
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