Adam Petrash
Special to the Paw Print
There have been countless times where I couldn’t go a whole outing without feeling ignored by a friend whose nose was buried in their T9 world. It’s like when someone says it’s rude for you to be talking on the phone while out with others. Surprise! Texting is the same thing. Even people who may seem like they are paying attention are slyly checking their phones every five minutes. Yet, texting is, and remains, the hottest thing since (insert clever punch line here). I will never understand this.
I have heard all the counter arguments to why texting is so convenient. For example, it’s cheaper than calling during the day. Well, the majority of people work 9-5; they have a job to do and shouldn’t be pushing more buttons than they have to – unless you work in a lifeless cubical and it keeps you from going on a killing spree, brought on from utter boredom.
So, what about free evenings and weekends? Why continue to text, then? Why be irritated by short, but delayed messages due to a bad signal? Why risk your recipient not receiving messages that could become lost in Never Never Land? Why allow yourself to misinterpret a person’s words, or vice versa, because you can’t tell how they are coming across?
Yet, texting continues to happen everywhere. It’s at work, during dinners, at movies, concerts, and while driving, too! I know this may come as a shock to some, even if you happen to be a talented multi-tasker.
You know the ones who can drink coffee, talk on their cell phone, send out texts and email, do their makeup, read through papers and hold the steering wheel all at once? And then, when a car signals ahead of them properly, they look up at the last minute from whatever it may be they were doing and have the nerve to honk their horn and flip the bird because, “That motherf***** just cut me off!” Yeah, I mean those ones. Leave your multi-tasking skills outside of the vehicle.
When it comes to concerts and movies there is nothing more distracting than being in a dimly lit area and the person next to you is texting away on their big, brightly lit screen. You try to ignore it but you can’t. The screen mocks you, saying, “Hey you! Yeah, you! Am I ruining this for you yet?” I don’t see why people choose to take away from what they are doing at that moment or ruin that moment for others.
I see less interaction and communication in real environment settings due to messenger services. It seems people are only comfortable speaking from behind a screen these days. People will discuss everything and anything. From everyday meaningless conversations, to more intense, heated arguments, to breakups, to secrets, to…well, you get the picture. Humans already have enough issues trying to communicate with each other in person; texting has widened that gap.
What I find most disturbing is people are just starting to question it and the effect it is having on our society. I mean people besides the police, enforcing new tickets to gain more revenue, or the movie theaters enforcing no texting policies because cell phones are no longer just phones, they’re cameras and paths to the web – so movie theaters are arming pre-releases with hired, private security to ensure you don’t pirate a flick and take the money out of their pockets.
So why not utilize our voices? It is the most reliable tool we have. For the record, no, I am not saying we should abolish technology. No, I am not saying we shouldn’t make phone calls and send emails or text messages. And no, I am not saying that if you want to talk to someone that you need to walk the six blocks to their house, see if they are home, and then have a conversation. All I am saying is instead of typing or texting away all hours of the day, go to Starbucks, grab a chai latte, and have a chat. It’s healthy.
Unfortunately, texting is here to stay. The majority of people are on this bandwagon, addicted to this font fashion. I know people like to stay up-to-date with the latest and greatest. I know the majority of people dislike being labeled and all aspire to be individuals. So then, why are we allowing ourselves to become faceless too?
What’s Been Said…