# What are all you people texting about all the time ?! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 5, 2016, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-all-you-people-texting-about-all-the-time/745268 "2016-02-05T20:38:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-all-you-people-texting-about-all-the-time/745268/101 "2016-02-11T03:48:42Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Not to speak for **Voyager** but I think the disconnect comes for those of us who don’t text (or text very often) and we don’t consider that the scene we see being played out is perfectly okay with all the participants. I believe you call that “projection” , i.e, when I see a girl (or guy) just sitting there staring into space because the person they’re with is futzing with their phone, my first thought is “if that was me, I would leave” and then I’m unreasonably angry with a total stranger, without stopping to think that if she didn’t like it she would have told him so :smack: It’s very hard to relate to when it’s not something you yourself indulge in. I’m working on it though. And that is completely different from, say, my daughters attitude (and her friends’s) in that phones allow for additional participants. 2 people might be sitting at this table, but more are involved via snapchat, instagram, video calling, and more. Their world constantly extends beyond their physical location, and they’re fine with this. As am I, really. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-all-you-people-texting-about-all-the-time/745268/102 "2016-02-11T06:51:57Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I’m talking about are two people deep into their phones and not interacting at all. > Not the biggest problem in the world, no. Not the biggest problem. Not the smallest problem. Not a problem. Period. And as long as they’re leaving you alone, why do you care how they interact with each other? ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-all-you-people-texting-about-all-the-time/745268/103 "2016-02-11T23:33:25Z")
Short little anecdote: I’m late 40s and been a total tech geek all my life. I was setting something on a 25-ish year-old female friend’s iPhone for her, and I mentioned how I just changed my data plan because for the first time I was sending more than 200 texts in a month. She sort of laughed and I said, “Yeah, you probably send three times that many…” and she got this embarrassed look on her face. So I checked her phone’s usage screen. See had sent _ **6000** _ texts the previous month\*!!!\* At first I simply couldn’t believe it. But then I figured out that was about 200 per day, and if you use texting as a main line of communication for some people that’s doable. For me texting is (almost) completely utilitarian. Short, and to the point. Like the Titanic sending Morse code, not like having a conversation (that’s, ah, like what actually _talking_ on a cellphone is for\*!\*). Damn kids today… ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-all-you-people-texting-about-all-the-time/745268/104 "2016-02-12T00:08:01Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > For me texting is (almost) completely utilitarian. Short, and to the point. Like the Titanic sending Morse code, not like having a conversation (that’s, ah, like what actually _talking_ on a cellphone is for\*!\*). Damn kids today… I think you have it the wrong way around. Talking on a cellphone should be short and utilitarian. Need-to-know-now type stuff. Texting is for everything else. There is no reason to jibber jabber pointless crap on a phone any more. Only the most pressing and urgent of issues require a phone call. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-all-you-people-texting-about-all-the-time/745268/105 "2016-02-12T01:20:19Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > And that is completely different from, say, my daughters attitude (and her friends’s) in that phones allow for additional participants. 2 people might be sitting at this table, but more are involved via snapchat, instagram, video calling, and more. Their world constantly extends beyond their physical location, and they’re fine with this. As am I, really. Exactly what I was trying (feebly) to say. It’s a different day and people communicate in different ways that I’m not really “hip”’ to. I realize that just because I don’t “get it” , doesn’t make it “wrong”. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-all-you-people-texting-about-all-the-time/745268/106 "2016-02-12T05:30:52Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > I think you have it the wrong way around. Talking on a cellphone should be short and utilitarian. Need-to-know-now type stuff. Texting is for everything else. There is no reason to jibber jabber pointless crap on a phone any more. Only the most pressing and urgent of issues require a phone call. Well, that’s the essence of this thread I think. For young people used to it texting seems normal. For me without any audible cues texting is NOT a conversation, its a communication of data. It’s great for addresses and times etc. or for ‘delayed’ conversations you can take piecemeal, but I quickly reach my ‘saturation tolerance’ with texting after only 3 or 4 exchanges. Its totally unnatural to express yourself like this, it’s like I’m being a court stenographer with my meaningless chit-chat. And using VR for texting is doubly redundant and ridiculous. At that point either give up or actually call… ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-all-you-people-texting-about-all-the-time/745268/107 "2016-02-12T14:28:51Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > I think you have it the wrong way around. Talking on a cellphone should be short and utilitarian. Need-to-know-now type stuff. Texting is for everything else. There is no reason to jibber jabber pointless crap on a phone any more. Only the most pressing and urgent of issues require a phone call. -1 What if you actually enjoy talking to the person and like to hear their voice? LOL is no replacement for a genuine laugh. A nice chat on the phone is like a walk in the park with a friend. Texting is for data. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-all-you-people-texting-about-all-the-time/745268/108 "2016-02-12T15:51:55Z")
If you “actually enjoy the other person and want to hear their voice” then make a call. I fail to see the problem here. You prefer to text\* one way, that’s OK. Others prefer to use it differently \*and that’s OK too. \* Again, the big advantages are (a) politeness and (b) asynchronization. Many feel it is a bit presumptuous to insist that someone spend their time talking about what you want, \*when \*you want, therefore they prefer the fact that texts can be responded to when your recipient has the time and attention. \*And, again, what one interprets as “texting” could be anything but. Do those who have a problem with texting here even have and use a Snapchat account? ---
**Author:** ![Hooleehootoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/eada6e/32.png) [@Hooleehootoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hooleehootoo)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-all-you-people-texting-about-all-the-time/745268/109 "2016-02-12T18:50:14Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > Here’s what one teen is doing: [My Little Sister Taught Me How To Snapchat Like “The Teens”](http://www.buzzfeed.com/benrosen/how-to-snapchat-like-the-teens). I enjoyed that article. There is a bit more creativity involved than I had supposed in the editing of “snaps”. > [@](#): > > ME: How often are you on Snapchat? > BROOKE: On a day without school? There’s not a time when I’m not on it… I think tcalling this _addiction_ is more than just a metaphor. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2016, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-all-you-people-texting-about-all-the-time/745268/110 "2016-02-13T04:22:55Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > What if you actually enjoy talking to the person and like to hear their voice? You call them? Is something stopping you from making a phone call? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2016, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-all-you-people-texting-about-all-the-time/745268/111 "2016-02-13T14:40:02Z")
Anyone who can’t stop texting for the three minutes it takes me to complete your store transaction has a real problem. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2016, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-all-you-people-texting-about-all-the-time/745268/112 "2016-02-13T14:45:00Z")
“Honey, I can’t find the building for the job interview. Could you confirm the address by texting it to me?” “Screw you, I won’t want this random retail associate to think I have a problem.” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2016, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-all-you-people-texting-about-all-the-time/745268/113 "2016-02-13T20:29:14Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > And that is completely different from, say, my daughters attitude (and her friends’s) in that phones allow for additional participants. 2 people might be sitting at this table, but more are involved via snapchat, instagram, video calling, and more. Their world constantly extends beyond their physical location, and they’re fine with this. As am I, really. I think this sums it up for me. The story of my brother, his two friends, a trip to Vegas, the world’s worst hotel comp room, two broken cell phones, a missed plane, and Dog the Bounty Hunter includes me because all the participants were trying to text me in Austin. Well. Not Dog. And not having to hear people’s inappropriate phone conversations like I did before texting? Priceless. When you are dealing with a cashier, you should deal with the cashier. Not text, talk on the phone, chat with your friend, or zone out into space. Transact and move on. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-all-you-people-texting-about-all-the-time/745268.md?page=5)