As the technology around us has developed at a rapid rate, the concern over general human interaction — or lack thereof — has been a topic of deep discussion. Human discourse has taken the brunt of anti-technology fervor, with many claiming that e-mail and text messaging foil human interaction.
New Internet applications built for our cell phones, including instant messaging and real-time e-mail, have supplanted the significance of text messaging. Facebook, Twitter and MySpace also have made their mark in the perceived “clash of social culture.”
Text messaging critics believe that “texting” aids the “dumbing down” of our discourse with acronyms and constant misspellings. Far worse is the belief that our newfound communication methods drastically cut our daily face-to-face discussions.
Critics need to examine the texting argument through a technological context. The advancement of technology has altered every social science field, from sociology to history.
Text messages are essentially an informal version of e-mail. Through this medium, it’s a bit more difficult to gauge emotions such as sarcasm and sincerity. This should be understood at the very basic level.
Texting is not an alternative form of communication; it is an additional form that carries its own associated pleasures. Generally speaking, with pleasure, there are always limits.
Texting is straight to the point. I have never been one in favor of long cell phone conversations due to my lack of free time, as well as my paranoid fear of eventual brain cancer.
I personally find text messaging extremely useful in my daily activities and routines, especially with the demands of graduate school and a job. I can quickly find out where a friend is on campus, touch bases with friends almost effortlessly, and reply to people who use the outdated and awkward medium of voicemail in order to communicate.
Why leave a two-minute voice message that requires a passcode for the listener, when you can simply text and have your inquiry noticed immediately.
I am not stating that every text message is responded to in an instant fashion, but at the very least the “texter” knows the recipient will see their message the next time the addressee grabs their phone.
Phone calls are going nowhere, so those who fear the eventual death of telephone conversations should not worry. Nothing beats hearing the sweet voice of an old friend or family member. In fact, emerging technologies like Skype illustrate the demand people have for human interface at the highest level.
There are realities of texting that should not be overlooked, but at the same time are obvious, such as the dangers of driving and texting at the same time. There also is the issue of getting to know a new acquaintance by texting. It’s all good when texts are flying in and out of the phone, but what happens when it’s time to put down the phone and entertain each other through physical contact?
Although one can re-create their voice to sound like John F. Kennedy or Jay-Z through the power of their thumbs, it should be realized that when the time for “physical presence” demands itself, you better be able to deliver.
Hanif Zarrabi is a Middle Eastern history graduate student and a columnist for the Daily 49er.
