Textual Harassment: The Effect of Texting on Society

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Textual Harassment: The Effect of Texting on Society

David Farrenkopf - December 19, 2007

I just texted you from Grandview and boy are my thumbs tired.

Text messaging, or texting as it's called in the streets, is the sending of short, usually grammatically incorrect, messages from one cell phone to another.

It's a very common thing to see teenagers walking with their eyes glued to their phones and their fingers flying a mile a minute enjoying the simple and lazy pleasure of texting.

The appeal of texting relies mainly in its simplicity. Why call someone up, and tell them how you are or what you?re doing when you can just type it?

Like many advances before it texting is just another way to make life easier but is it making today's generation lazier? As a result of the recent popularity of texting a new form of English has come about.

The motive for the change is obvious and it does seem to be in the student's best interest. The main reason is to benefit the students making it so they don't have to choose between a further level of punishment or a prior commitment. The punishment for missing a detention is still a Wednesday school but the numbers of students missing should go down.

A series of abbreviations has been established in an ever-growing scheme to cut down text time. Some examples of this "txtspeak" include:

4COL For crying out loud

AASHTA As always, Sheldon has the answer (Bike mechanic Sheldon Brown)

AYTMTB And you're telling me this because

DLTBBB Don't let the bed bugs bite

DEGT Don't even go there

DH Dear (or Darling) husband

DIIK Darned if I know

DIKU Do I know you?

DM Doesn't matter

IDK I don't know

As school districts across the United States grapple with preventing and dealing with bullying among students, a newer and more subversive form is being employed in increasing numbers: cyber bullying.

Many instances country wide of bullying-by-text have been reported and the increased in texting will only exacerbate the situation.

Also, texting has been blamed for a recent increase and a large percentage of car accidents according to CBS.com. Text while driving has led to many avoidable crashes.

Text messaging has also led to a different use as a form of voting as seen with shows such as American Idol. Every year when it comes time to choose a favorite singer from the lineup the show receives thousands of texts from around the world that are used to determine the winner.

In an interview over text junior Steven Daniel-Hamberg said that he thinks that text messages are "essential and really improve teenage quality of life, I think that they are necessary. As long as you don't text and drive they are a really good thing."

Text messaging seams to be like many things. It is safe, reliable, and convenient in the right situation. The reason behind the rise of popularity of text messaging is obvious, it's an easy way to talk to friends without the worry of awkward silences or being talked into a corner.