OMG! 2 Much Texting

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omg rus???  just got yur msg. dont no wht 2 tell u 2 do. 
rotfl c u @ 3 after class b4 vball. ttyl

OMG! The current generation is becoming a “text-only” society.  And now parents and experts are fearing the worst for their future.

Technology
An estimated 98% of America’s teenagers have a cell phone.  However, they’re no longer using it to talk, but instead to text.  Phone calls from blocked or unknown numbers have long been considered a no-no. Teens stopped using voicemail and leaving or listening to voice messages long ago. Even email is considered as useless and slow as what older generations refer to as “snail mail.” Nowadays, most teens are turning their ringtones off and ignoring phone calls from ANY phone number — including their parents. Their chosen method of communication is the instant text message.  To them, if you don’t text it, it’s not worth hearing about.

Texts have overcome the popularity of talking or emailing on the cell phone because it can be as instant or as slow as the user wants. A teen can provide rapid responses, replicating an actual conversation, or take their sweet time to respond as they multi-task and do several other things at once.  It’s convenient for them, but experts say it is ruining their future adult lives. Teens are spending hours upon hours texting, without any real human interaction or communication. They’re doing it in class, or even while sitting next to a friend on the sofa when they could just speak. Some are even texting while driving! They are foregoing real conversations for short bursts of text conversations that lack a genuine flow. Their “people” and spelling skills are being compromised along with their ability to type in a real manner versus the hunt-and-peck method on today’s cell phones.  With teens admitting to sending upwards of 100 or more texts per day (nearly 3000 in a month), they are also exposed to greater health risks including carpal tunnel syndrome.

Technology
Texting is considered fun, quick, and easy for today’s modern and busy teen. But what will it do for the post-teen skills they will need in their very near future? When they grow up, what will happen when they have to sit at a computer and actually type a real letter?  Or send a real business email? Will they be able to spell accurately, or will it “b 2 hard 2 brake old hbts?” What will happen when they have to turn their ringers back on to be on constant call with their bosses?  Or when they actually have to have a real conversation with a prospective client?  And what will their future personal relationships be like after years of lost personal interaction?  Only time will tell…