I dislike text messaging as a conversation tool, but I really appreciate it for information posting. For instance, updates on the football scores. Or, when I’m to meet someone at an unfamiliar place and they text with an address correction, like “7210 Easy Street, not 7201, c u in 20”
Also, I see more younger folks (I’m 40ish) using it as a form of conversation, like wireless IMing, than people my age. Just my experience or a verifiable trend?
Side point: Is “cell phone” still a correct term? Since all the networks have super evolved…
I use mine for short messages but not long conversations. It’s annoying to use the keyboard and I really detest the shorthand associated with texting (How R U? and NEway…leet speek type abbreviations). However, if they came out with a way around that, I’d be a much more enthusiastic texter, I think.
I use it as both, knowing my friends’ preferences. Those of my friends who have Sidekicks or other devices with full qwerty keyboards are more likely to use it for conversation, for obvious reasons. After enough practice, though, I can thumb-type impressively fast on my phone.
One of the reasons for using it for conversation is economics, at least for me. I can get a bundled plan with a couple hundred texts for 5 cents each and use them anytime, or I can only make calls on weekends, or pay 45 cents a minute to talk with friends. Considering that free ‘nights’ don’t help me when I’m two time zones away from a number of my friends…
I love texting. I was dubious at first–why text when you can call–before I realized that i’ts just like email–you text so that you can be efficient and not HAVE to talk when all you want to say is 'We are still on for luch at 12 at Chili’s, correct?" So I mostly use it for brief exchanges of information.
As a teacher, I’ve found text messaging to be a way to connect with students I couldn’t connect with any other way–dor whatever reason, that’s a level of contact some contact they are comfortable with. So they text me questions about the homework and I text answers back. The night before the AP exam I send out a bulk text at 10:00 telling everyone to go to bed!
On the other hand, I have used texting for conversations in situations where, frankly, it’s sorta tacky but I do it anyway. During really boring staff developments, when I am stuck in an auditorium with hundreds of other teachers going over really boring stuff, I try to get a seat where I can discretly text sarcastic comments about what is being said to other teachers in the room. My partner-in-sarcasm at these things and I don’t sit next to each other because then we are disruptive–teachers make the worst students. Discrete sarcastic comments keep me sane and employed.
I mainly use it in the middle of the day to be sure my friends aren’t in class(or a meeting, if I’m messaging my mother). They usually call me back if they’re available, and if not, I haven’t disturbed them if they forget to turn the ringer off during something important. It’s just a pre-arranged system we’ve worked out, but nobody I know really uses text messaging for conversations much.
I use the texting for short conversations. Usually if I’m at work, and can’t email the person, then I’ll text them if I need to talk to them. Or they’ll text me. But there’s only two people in the world who text me. Hubby and my best friend. I have a very small mobile phone address book.
In the past 37 days (the last time I emptied my inbox and sent items on my phone), I have sent/received a total of 3,651 messages. Thank God for unlimited messaging for only $14.99.
As to what I use it for – anything when I can’t talk, and often when I can. I like them because they’re asynchronous; I can pop one off and get a reply later when I or the recipient has the time to respond. I have a job where I cannot use my cellphone most of the time, but I can duck into the bathroom and check and reply really quickly. Also, I can send pictures and short sound files back and forth, which I cannot do by speaking.
I have also become scary quick at typing in English and Spanish on the little thing, thanks to bilingual predictive dictionaries.
I love the concept of text messaging (asynchronous, like the last poster said), but I don’t think the application is there yet. As someone who easily types into the triple digits WPM, and talks at the speed you’d expect a crazy New England person to talk… the time it takes to create a text message (since how r u doing is out of the question) is nowhere near where it needs to be. Other than that, well, they keep me from having to hear those damn rings quite as often, right?
I have my phone set to use T9 word mode, which isn’t a perfect substitute for a real keyboard, but generally figures out the right word and keeps me from having to use so many keystrokes (I also refuse to use most of the abbreviations, as they annoy me).
I most often use text messages to email myself notes, and very occasionally to have a conversation when I’m somewhere I can’t talk.
