“Hey the address is 123 main st. 7pm. # is (123) 456-7890 if you get lost.”
Tell me a phone conversation is better than that. Especially if you don’t want to interrupt the person you’re texting. Or if they might be driving or in a noisy place or a possibly with a client or patient. Or does all that mean nothing to you?
We didn’t used to be able to post to messageboards on the internet or email each other either. But we do because it makes life a little more pleasant. I don’t text my buddies 500 times a day. I do text them to tell them the name of the pub we’re meeting at, or that I’ll be 5 minutes late, or if I have some info to tell them that isn’t urgent, nor justifies a conversation. Most people use it like this. You’re using hyperbole to deny a genuine, pragmatic use of something that is an innovation.
That’s more of passing info/data (addresses and phone numbers). Which I admit can come in handy but doesn’t really qualify as conversation.
What do you think a conversation is?
Well I didn’t know the question was “Do dudes text each other as a replacement for already inane phone conversations?” If it was, sorry I misunderstood. I was just trying to show that there are numerous situations where as a tool it’s very useful. “Texting is for little girls” kind of implies that there is no legitimate reason for texting to exist, period, and throws in some disdainful condescension, to boot.
I’m pretty sure most guys in this thread have been saying that we are not in fact texting each other “hee hee do u like sharon?” but some posters still want to believe that, for whatever reason.
Come to think of it, the only people I’ve ever texted are women (but then again, I know very few dudes who know my cel # in the first place). Hmmmm…
Male, 29.
Typically, I text four times per month, early on Saturday morning with my brother.
One of us says, “Gym?” The other, “Yes.” or, occasionally, “No”.
The only other time texting is remotely useful is when I am trying to reach someone on the subway. Sometimes the train comes above ground for a few stops or, even in certain parts underground, you get momentary cell signal. If I leave a VM for a person on the train, he probably won’t be able to listen to the message in the time he actually gets signal. A text, of course, he can pull down instantly and digest even when the train goes back underground.
But other than that, I leave the texting to the middle school girls.
I text short meaningful bursts. It’s handy when the person is away from email and is in a situation where they can’t answer the phone. It’s great for info you need to get someone that they may need to refer to (e.g. driving directions).
So, yeah, dudes text. Even dudes in their forties.
I really don’t understand why texting is less manly than actually talking to people. It seems MORE stoic to avoid conversations entirely.
I think that perhaps some people don’t understand that dudes text INSTEAD of talking to people, not in addition to it.
My Dad texts…a lot.
I understand that. I’m saying it’s girlish to have any contact at all. If it’s an emergency, call. If not, it can wait for the weekend.
So by logical extension the most manly thing to do of all is to be a hermit eschewing all human contact and, particularly, speech. :rolleyes:
Male text-messeger here. I probably send/receive 5-10 a week. My use boils down to:
A) I don’t really use my phone all that much and so I have a pay-as-you-go TracFone. A text is 1/3 unit but it costs me 1 unit the second I answer a call or someone I’m calling picks up. If the conversation will be less than a minute, I text.
B) My brothers’ jobs don’t involve easy access to email. They, along with 1-2 friends are who I text with most often, which isn’t much. Plus, 80% of what I want to share with them doesn’t require a response (e.g. “Favre retires!”). Plus, I can send that to all of them at once, instead of making multiple calls. If I want to really catch up with them, I’ll call on the weekend or in the evening when I know we’ll both have time. In between, it’s nice to stay connected.
C) I don’t like to place personal calls from work. On the rare occasion that I’m texting, I can be interrupted.
If you think it’s for girls or a useless form of communication, than so be it. I don’t think most guys here use it for work, either, which kind of makes Shagnasty’s rant pointless. Plus, I’m glad my friends and family don’t require every bit of communication from me to be some well-thought-out memorandum.
What I’m wondering is: Where are all the cell-phone haters? You’d think they’d be all about text messaging as a break from having to listen to rude callers blabbing away on the bus or whatever.
I have an armchair theory as to why girls do this so much more than boys.
It’s a well know fact that girls are better multitaskers than guys are. So I think for them ripping out a text msg to there friend “Betty” while at the same time she’s carrying on with her gal-pals (IRL) at lunch is no big deal.
With us guys, it takes our undivided attention as it usually takes us 5min to find the letter “T”.
I’ve owned a cell phone for about 10 years, and I’ve only ever sent 10-15 text messages. I only send texts if I don’t need a reply, or if I think the person might not be available to talk due to circumstances or time differences. For example, I texted my friend in Minnesota when the bridge collapsed, to ask if she was okay (she was). I texted another friend from a different time zone to tell her she wouldn’t have to pick me up at the airport. I’ve texted mushy notes to my SO. But for anything else, I call, and leave a voice mail if they don’t answer.
I can’t relate to people who spend hundreds of minutes per month on the phone or send dozens of text messages per month. Either I have a lot less going on in my life, or I’m far less inclined to comment to friends and family about it.
I’m clearly very in touch with my feminine side, then 
No! You never call, not even on the weekends. “Happy birthday, bro”, and the matter is done, over, caput.
I’ve never told a friend “Happy Birthday.” I don’t even know when their birthdays are. I never tell them mine either. Who cares about birthdays? Birthdays are for children.
I meant your actual brother. You don’t wish family members happy birthday?
Actually, after I posted this I realized I never wish my brothers happy birthday.
But I don’t think someone is unmanly if they do. Would you seriously think less of someone for such a thing?