Do U Txt Msg?

The New York Times has an intresting article about current methods of communication used by teens. Laura M. Holson entertains the idea that cell phones are setting the future norm for communication between parent-child relationships. Holson claims, "Children increasingly rely on personal technological devices like cellphones to define themselves and create social circles apart from their families, changing the way they communicate with their parents."

Cellphone providers have come along way in promoting their services to families. 10 years ago their market was young adults and business professionals. 5 years later they restructured their promotions and started to aggressively target families with plans that would cover the whole household. This shift has proliferated the increase of children and teens that own a cellphone.

I still recall when text messaging was not that popular in 2003. In fact, teachers did not know that certain students were cheating on exams with their phones. That of course has changed. Nowadays there are official texting championships that test how fast you can thumb a random message. Did you know the Guinness Book of World record for text message is 41.52 seconds.

Why did text messaging become popular? 10 years ago, instant messaging was the "it" thing for teens. It was the new way to communicate as you could hold several conversations at once. Cellphones took over that role. You no longer have to own a computer to stay in touch with friends as was required with instant messaging. If you communicated with friends via IM, it was only a select few who had A) access to a computer and B) access to internet. In fact, you no longer have to be in front of a computer in order to communicate with friends now a days. It is this prime reason why I believe texting is so popular. Friends can stay in touch 24/7 or as long as the cellphone's battery does not die.

This type of communication has filtered into other relationships that teens have. Their perspectives expect individuals to adhere to their communication standards. Thus, parents have had to adapt to fulfill this demand. Holson adds, "When asked if their children wanted a call or a text message requesting that they be home by curfew, for instance, 58 percent of parents said their children preferred a text."

What's the social implication though? A concerned parent claims, “I see kids text under the table at the restaurant. They don’t teach them etiquette anymore.” From driving while texting to ordering your favorite tune or wallpaper via texting, the way technology entwines and impacts our life is changing rapidly. Don't be surprised if it becomes the norm to receive a notice from the boss via a text message or a reminder of your appointment by your doctor. What may change though will be how we communicate grammatically. If society as a whole embraces text messaging as a legitimate form of communication, expect it to receive structure much like emails did about 15 years ago. So "R U OK?" would no longer be permissible . . . at least not on as a business related text message.