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Printer-Friendly ModeText messaging a lousy substitute for verbal chats, disclosures
January 25, 2010 —
I am a fan of the text message. “Hey where should I meet you?” is a type of question that is quite useful in text form. Unfortunately, for our generation text messaging has become a staple in communication.
“Hey what are your thoughts about the meaning of life?” is an example of a badly chosen text message. I call a text that cannot be answered in 15 words or less a loaded text message. All too often I open my phone to see a message that simply cannot be appropriately answered through a text. I am confused by our inability to dial a phone and embrace sound to have a conversation. Sadly, many people stand by the text method because it gives them some kind of imaginary force field protecting them from the person on the other end.
I once had a text buddy that would rarely talk when I saw him in person, but an hour later would message, “What did you do today?” Since my life is so incredibly exciting, I could not answer this question in 15 words or less, thus making it a loaded text message.
I would sometimes reply with, “Did I have a monster zit on my face today?” seriously concerned that there might be a hideous deformity on my forehead, seeing that he could barely look me in the eyes earlier. More often times though, I ignored these messages until he finally gave up and most likely moved on to a lady more easily wooed by technology.
My roommate is now facing a similar problem. She does not have to deal as much with the loaded text message, but with what I like to call the pansy text message. Though it is very flattering to get, “I really like you” via text message, it might be a little more effective to tell that special someone in person.
My advice to these text messagers: Man up! Sending the pansy message certifies love life failure. I am not sure what the messager is expecting the receiver to say, but chances are it will be an embarrassing rejection, and if it isn’t, the receiver is probably a decently desperate individual him or herself.
I believe that the people sending these pansy messages should not be deemed creepy. I think it is more laziness then anything. Sending a pansy text message says, “I want a significant other, but I am too lazy to go out and find one, and maybe my personality is bad.”
Closely related to the pansy text message is the angry friend text. This type of message describes itself; a fight has started and a phone war has resulted. My favorite part of these messages is when one or both parties use the word application available to make text messaging that much easier. In regular conversation word would be useful, but when the messenger is fuming with hostility and doesn’t bother to proofread before sending, the receiver gets this message, “I am so Dublin mad at you! I can’t believe what a chubi you are! I don’t give a shiv about this friendship anymore!”
I could go on forever defining all different types of text messages, but the most depressing one of all is the parent text message. Nearsightedness and giant thumbs has helped prevent my dad from sending the parent text, but my mom could not resist.
A very low day for me was when I got the first text from Mom that read, “at Grandma’s doctors apopointment eig, thinking of id u. How is wci it going?” If you had to read that a few times through to understand, don’t worry. I had to mull it over for a good minute to understand. Apparently my mom had not yet mastered the backspace button on her Jitterbug phone and decided to send the typosprinkled message regardless.
Her messages follow this usual format: a loaded message riddled with typos. From socially awkward teenagers, this is expected, but getting them from the woman who carried me in her womb for nine months is extremely disappointing.
My message to the reader: Let’s go old school. If you are a text message fanatic, venture out and try talking. You might be startled by your voice at first, but don’t be afraid.