After having a quite candid conversation with one of my friends last night over the ever popular text message, it got me to thinking a little bit about how we use this feature in our everyday lives and the impact it has had on how we communicate. I have often found myself trying to explain myself, or really anything for that matter over my handy dandy iPhone and realized that in the time it took me to compose, alter the incorrect auto-correct, and send the message, a simple phone call would have taken less time.

I think we are losing the personal touches that come with texting as well. The subtle changes in voice or inflection cannot be delivered by an emoticon. Recent studies have indicated that teens these days are sending well over 3000 texts a month. The question I raise, which has been raised by many before me, is if this style of communication and language is dominating teen’s life, what are they missing out on? Are we still connecting on a level as profound as that of speech or writing?

This is just some food for thought as we continue into the digital age, where technology occupies so much of our environment. Sometimes I have begun to think that we are losing some of the deep human connections in our society for Facebook Friendship, or a life in a cyber-world.  Granted these are the products of our time, but I think my encouragement is: in this fast-paced, technological time, we still need to take time to sit down with those we enjoy, to spend time outside, and to relax. Texting is a perfect example of how we have put so much time into a convenience, and have not taken the time to simply say what we should, as we should.

Now don’t get me wrong, I think texting is a wonderful tool, and I myself am guilty of using it copiously, but all I am saying is lets not abuse this tool. I still remember the days when you used to call the house phone to reach a friend. Things have definitely improved. :)