Art was reading Time magazine a while ago and saw this article about technology. There were all kinds of charts about mobile devices. An interesting fact was that the average age people felt a child should have a mobile device is 13 years. Funny thing is I'd go even younger seeing how my granddaughter is able to call us already and she's only 5 years old. Granted, I'd put a lot of limitations on the device first...namely, you can only call your parents or your grandparents.
When surveyed about "Which mobile-device features have affected the way you live your life the most in the U.S., Brazil, China, India, South Korea and U.K", TEXT messages came in #1.
Here's a line that caught my attention in an article about charity titled Doing Good By Texting by Kate Pickert. "...consider three facts about text messaging: it is almost completely spam-free, it's personal, and nearly every message gets read. Websites, e-mail, paper mail and phone calls don't come anywhere near achieving this trifecta."
I can surely attest to this. It is most certainly the FASTEST way by far that I can reach my children, grandchild and nephews. In fact, I will get a reply back in minutes as opposed to in a few days if I use e-mail or any other method.
The thing is it's quick and takes away all the more time consuming formal salutations. No more, "Dear so and so, How are you?" What you'll probably get is something like, "H R U?" I wouldn't know since even when I text, I spell everything out and add all my punctuations.
You know... even though I don't particularly love some technology, when I hear the ring tone on my iPhone for a text message, I pick up my phone right away and answer it. Yup. It's true. Sigh...
TAFN (That's all for now.)
When surveyed about "Which mobile-device features have affected the way you live your life the most in the U.S., Brazil, China, India, South Korea and U.K", TEXT messages came in #1.
Here's a line that caught my attention in an article about charity titled Doing Good By Texting by Kate Pickert. "...consider three facts about text messaging: it is almost completely spam-free, it's personal, and nearly every message gets read. Websites, e-mail, paper mail and phone calls don't come anywhere near achieving this trifecta."
I can surely attest to this. It is most certainly the FASTEST way by far that I can reach my children, grandchild and nephews. In fact, I will get a reply back in minutes as opposed to in a few days if I use e-mail or any other method.
The thing is it's quick and takes away all the more time consuming formal salutations. No more, "Dear so and so, How are you?" What you'll probably get is something like, "H R U?" I wouldn't know since even when I text, I spell everything out and add all my punctuations.
You know... even though I don't particularly love some technology, when I hear the ring tone on my iPhone for a text message, I pick up my phone right away and answer it. Yup. It's true. Sigh...
TAFN (That's all for now.)
You do make a great case for the technology. I just haven't slipped over to the dark side yet. It might be that brevity thing:))
ReplyDeletetext is great for keeping in touch with the kids! I think Facebook is dangerous for teens, as they can meet and keep in touch with just about anyone, parents really have to be vigilant.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how a couple of years ago I rarely texted (is that right) and The Hubby NEVER! Now, that is just how we communicate most of the time in the world, with others and sometimes each other during our busy day. We're a texting crew here!
ReplyDeleteI still mostly use the phone with my children, though I think they text a lot with each other. I have a good friend who is traveling in Europe right now and texting has been a great way for us to stay in touch. I also usually spell things our and add punctuation.
ReplyDeleteI guess I'll have to start texting. Dang! :-)
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought about this, but it's true, too true.
ReplyDeleteWe have a plain cell phone $19.95 plan no text for the entire year. Last December we tried a data plan and tried texting for the first time. I'm afraid you're right. It was wonderful to get instant replies of a word or sentence, especially when it was about what items I should buy at Trader Joes. We're not technology buffs so we are not keen about getting every new fangled toy, but some of the gadgets are so awesome. Husband is so loving his Google Nexus7. He no longer has to type in his search commands, just speak to it, that nearly blew him away.
ReplyDeleteI find texting a nice way to "interupt" my adult son without being outwardly interrupting. My son first got a cell phone, so I could touch base with him when I was in an evening class, and a friend called him on the land line. You'd want a youngster to be able to call 911, not just parents at first. I found the trick with my son, was not losing the cell phone. It fell out of his pocket when he was mowing a neighbor's yard. All I heard was the loud mower sound! He was okay, but the phone was cracked at the street curb. That's when I put a leather lanyard on the phone for his pocket, like a pocket watch. DrumMajor
ReplyDeleteI am very old-fashioned. I have never texted in my life!!!
ReplyDeleteI love text messaging, just love it.
ReplyDeletehow true, though my cell phone doesn't have texting coverage...
ReplyDeleteText messaging really does work. I find that each development in technology is greeted by a fair amount of skepticism until it catches on. Same thing with Twitter. When it first came out, people would satirize it by sneering and saying why do I want to tell someone "I am sitting here eating Wheaties for breakfast." I didn't give a rip about texting myself for a while. But this week I got an article my daughter wrote by means of Twitter.
ReplyDeleteA little unclear there at the end of my statement. I both Twitter and Text. Texting is really good for children and grandchildren. Twitter is good for finding out what's happening both in the wide world and one's personal comfort-zone world. Two years ago it would have not been the case. I am always behind the technological curve. Just today I discovered that I I can use my android cell phone to access your blog. It's a little harder to make a comment with it, although it could be done if I hung in there and mastered it. But the point is--I can read blogs when I'm away from my computer. I read yours, Hattie's and Gigi-Hawaii that way today and it opened up new dimensions. Someday our computers may be handheld devices like my android T-Mobile cell phone. As it is, I can e-mail, take photographs, Google, and use Wikipedia with my phone. Oh yes, I can also make telephone calls. And I don't even have the true champion--the iPhone.
Deleteoh, wow, am I behind technology or what. Never ever did tweeter neither skype.
ReplyDeleteTXT is good when you don't really want/need to talk. . . . a good tool
ReplyDeleteAloha from Waikiki,
Comfort Spiral
=^..^=
> < } } ( ° >
The thing I hate about technology is that my husband is available every hour of every day for business calls. Before the advent of mobile technology at least he had had time off at weekends and when we went on holiday; not any longer.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I spell and punctuate properly when using text. My younger son is good at responding to texts quickly, my elder son never seems to read them.
I know some who would rather use the text than speak on the phone. They don't like phones. Not sure why. Amanda is right about one thing, when Gregg and I have been on holiday he is in touch with his company 24/7 and it's hard to have a real holiday with the cell phone always ringing. Roll on retirement!
ReplyDelete