As many of you would know by now I am not a big fan of the cell phone or texting. Driving today to go with my mom to visit her friend, I cannot believe while on the highway, just how many people were driving and talking on their cell phones. The laws truly must get tougher on these people. Onto texting have we become so lazy that we cannot pick up the phone and talk, I refuse to ever learn to text, to be speaking on the phone is much more personal... Peace .. Catherine

I'm not a fan of driving while on the phone, or texting at inappropriate times, but refusing to learn to text, when it basically just involves typing, seems kind of extreme. There's a ton of incredible technology available, and there's no need to avoid it just because some people abuse it.

People used to argue that phones were terribly impersonal, and letters were far superior; I don't see why someone should avoid contacting a friend or family member just because the medium being used is modern.

I just personally feel it is more personal to speak on the phone to whomever I am speaking too. Texting does not interest me at all. While I sincerely realize many people love to text it is just not for me... Peace. Catherine

I totally agree. I text often, actually. When I need to say something quick and can't talk(meeting or just really busy), I love that I can just send a quick text.

Just yesterday, I was in the chair at the salon with hair dye all over my head and I was hoping to meet a friend for lunch. I saw that there was no way I would make it, so I shot a quick text to let her know.

May time, a parent at school will ask me to text at mid day if there child came not feeling well, or whatever to let them know how things are. They can't talk, because they are at work...I can't talk, because I am at work. I love texting, and there was really nothing to "learn". You just type, or in my case....swype!

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"When you're drowning, you don't say 'I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,' you just scream."

John Lennon

It's wildly popular for a reason... not just for teens ....

It's not a replacement for verbal communication. As groovygirl mentioned there are times when texting is far superior.

I find that sending texts avoids miscommunication in many instances.

There is no convincing (nor any need for convincing) people to get with the program...LOL

It's their loss.

I love texting, too. And, while texting while driving is illegal here, talking while driving is not.

Lisa

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"It's not having what you want,
It's wanting what you've got"

We reported a drunk driver (swerving all over the road) to the police while driving on the expressway a few weekks ago. A few minutes later we were able to pass him, only to see that he was not drunk, but 'texting". Texting while driving is as dangerous as driving drunk!

Agreed texting while driving is so dangerous I am not missing out on nothing. Peace.
Catherine

It's actually more dangerous than drunk driving! According to the studies anyway!

For the life of me, I don't get the whole JOY of texting thing! So much easier to speak on the phone and say about a thousand more words and explain exactly what you need to say in about 1/4 th the time if not less.

To couponsrock thanks so much exactly my thoughts. Peace. Catherine

I don't believe anyone here is advocating texting while driving.

But to think you are "not missing out on nothing"....err....ANYTHING...lol....well whatever.... maybe one day.... or maybe not.... Like I said....It's your loss. You admittedly refuse to enter the world of texting..another avenue of communicating and not a replacement for talking ... keep your head in the sand... who cares?

wait a minute...texting gives a person a whole new opportunity to use poor grammar...maybe that will give you motivation to reconsider..LOL

The correct word is anything, and I do not text while driving. Texting in general is awesome.

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"When you're drowning, you don't say 'I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,' you just scream."

John Lennon

If texting to you is awesome...you must live quite the boring existence! HAHAHA! Personally I feel that texting in general is a PITA and an inconvenience!

Not quite....I work two jobs, I have a very full life. That is why texting is awesome. It saves me a ton of time. To each his own, though.

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"When you're drowning, you don't say 'I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,' you just scream."

John Lennon

When I was working---I was OFTEN on teleconferences or phone mediations, and texting allowed me to deal with things that I wouldn't have been able to: Like asking SO to pick up the kids from school, letting the kids now that SO was picking them up, or that I was gonna be a little late picking them up.

There have been times when I've been able to say things in text that I couldn't via phone--I certainly wouldn't say anything negative about the Ex in front of the kids! But, I could text a friend or SO and get out some of my frustration, irritation and anger...

Now, I still communicate via phone and in person--heck, I still send handwritten notes and letters!
Texting is just another tool to communicate. It's funny--SO and I can gauge the other's mood in text. It's creepy sometimes how we can tell the other one is upset or distracted or angry...

Funny......my daughter picked up my, not so happy tome through text the other day.

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"When you're drowning, you don't say 'I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,' you just scream."

John Lennon

To sanstat, so if I start texting I will learn better grammar, really you compare texting to learning proper grammar. Get your head out of the sand and realize the more you try to push the texting the worse we will become, especially for the young ones who use cell phones so much. Just take a walk in the mall and see how much texting the teenagers are doing its all they do. Nice try to pick on my for my grammar, which is clearly what you tried to do, however again I could care less what you think and rather promote talking in person. To each his own is correct... Catherine

um no...most certainly not....you missed the point entirely...in fact, you missed it by a mile


hint: It was sarcasm!

Hint sarcasm would make a nice new username for you sanstat, fits you perfect.How rude can one person be. It ends here I do not like texting never will, leave my grammar alone and I am not missing out on nothing or anything GG.....My personal choice to not text, go bother someone else thanks in advance. Peace to others... Catherine

Peace to others????? That's a new one! LOL

texting is a lot like sending messages on a message board... But to people you personally know...

AND....it can clearly communicate directions, or descriptions that might get forgotten when you hang up a phone call!

It can provide a grocery list for reference.

*shrug* it's a TOOL, used correctly and appropriately is fantastic.

I choose to use as many tools as I can to stay in touch, and to keep in touch

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

If only that were true...........

I would rather bother you....thanks in advance. I never asked you to text. It is best that you don't, because I can just imagine how the messages would be written.

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"When you're drowning, you don't say 'I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,' you just scream."

John Lennon

LOL groovygirl..... I thinks it was me that she was suggesting to go away...Yet it was a bit confusing with the run-on sentence.

Ha, the other day there were ZERO responses and now 24. I figured, WOW, must be some serious discussion going on here, let me see what all the hub bub is about......only to see that, true to form, this thread has turned into "leave me alone, stop picking on me, this is the end of it......"

some things truly NEVER change. Sad

As for me, I used to not see the point of texting.....until I started texting. LOVE IT!!! I also call on the phone, use e-mail, snail mail, all forms of communication!! I also love that you can take a picture on your phone and send it to someone via TEXT!!

I think it does need to be illegal to do while driving, tho, in ALL states.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

She said GG...she seems to think she can come and create a thread to get attention, then take her toys and go home when someone does not agree with her. "Kindly go away, thanks in advance" LMAO! That is how some of the less mature children in my Kindergarten class behave.

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"When you're drowning, you don't say 'I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,' you just scream."

John Lennon

I am quite sure she created this thread (on a beaten to death topic) because she assumed most would agree with her and she would get the attention she craves. When some dared to rock her boat, she cried for them to go away(also for attention).

I too, love being able to send pictures. If I am in a store and see something my daughter might like, I send the picture and ask her. I was able to send tons of instant picture of my grand baby at the beach, when her Mom was still in the condo. The list goes on.

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"When you're drowning, you don't say 'I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,' you just scream."

John Lennon

Allinaugust, how very true! You don't realize the benefits of texting until you start using it (appropriately).

I don't usually have time during my workday to chat on the phone or even answer my phone. But my family, friends and business associates know they can send me a text and it will get more immediate attention than leaving a voicemail.

I love the picture messages too! I gave a friend some tomatoes out of our garden the other day and she sent me a cute picture of the BLT sandwich she made! Another friend just got engaged and she sent me a picture of the engagement ring on her finger.

GG, LOL....I suspect she would like us both to go away.

Same here. I thought texting would be something I'd never really get into, now I love it.

Just like ANYTHING else - there's a time, a place, and a reason for it.

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I disagree.

I think that often, people start threads they know many will disagree with just because they like the drama those threads create. Personally, I'm fine with jumping into a discussion with my opinions, but like to think that I'm at the point that I don't beg for drama and try to incite it.

I agree with you very much, AIA, about how handy it is, and marilyn, that it is just such a great tool to be able to use.

I spent today driving home from another state. A friend with whom I have a get-together tomorrow night wanted to make sure I remembered about it. She didn't know my schedule - didn't know if I'd be in church, napping, on the road and driving... she just had no clue. She wouldn't have called me for fear of disrupting me. At best, she'd probably have been able to leave a voicemail.

Instead, she just shot me a text, and when I was reunited with my phone when I finished what I was doing, there was my reminder.

I like that texts omit phone tag. My kids can't have their phones in school, but check them over the lunch hour, etc. If I have to run to the city nearby for a quick trip during the day, and don't want to bother the office with getting that message to them, I can just shoot my kids a text and know they will see it when they are free. And I can tell them to call or text me if they need me to pick up anything for them in the city. So handy - and no need for me to stop driving to answer and have a 'personal' phone call with them! I can just look at my phone when I stop and see what they've said to me.

The downside of texting is that some people don't know when to shut it down. When our son has a girlfriend, the girlfriend is with him 24 / 7 because she lives in his phone. Our family will be watching a movie, and the girlfriend is with us if only in his mind, if that makes sense. He's got his thoughts subdivided between the people he's with (his family or friends) and his girlfriend across town.

I think it's healthy to have to be *apart* from girlfriends / boyfriends when you are a teenager, and the free ability to text really infringes on any mental separation from the other person. With our son's last girlfriend, we ultimately instated a rule that the phone goes on the charger in the kitchen at 10:00 PM and stays there until 10:00 AM. We wanted the last people he said goodnight to to be the people in his house, and the first people he said good morning to to be the people in his house.

I'm not against conversational texting. I love to have a running conversation with my old college girlfriend who lives to states away. We don't get to see each other but once or twice a year, but exchanging some daily chit-chat when it's convenient for us given our very different schedules has kept our friendship moving along. She lost her keys in an amusement park yesterday and just sent me a text saying, "Guess who apparently lost her key on a roller coaster today and is now standing in a parking lot with three whiny little kids and can't get home????" I laughed and told her to go to lost and found. Sure enough... it was there. The fact that she sent me that funny memo didn't in any way make our friendship less real or personal. In fact, the fact that she thought to tell ME about it even though I couldn't do anything for her just goes to show that we can still share a laugh over our idiotic mistakes... and that's a great thing!

To Wow thanks I did not start this thread for any other reason, then to discuss my vent towards the overuse and the fact that I personally do not care to ever learn to text. This topic had been brought up many times. I simply just wanted to share how much, me personally is viewing so many people talking and texting all the time. What did we do years ago, we spoke in person, we called on phones from our homes. Do not get me wrong I like the idea of the cell phone for emergencies, in a car when pulled over, I also like that I reach my children and husband and parents if needed for emergencies, but other then that I personally feel it is abused. Peace. Catherine

I thought you were done? Geez! I know exactly why you brought up this tired thread again....and I knew you were not, nor will you ever be....DONE!

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"When you're drowning, you don't say 'I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,' you just scream."

John Lennon

To GG you simply cannot leave me alone, truly you cannot . I simply answered WOW because I like what she said. Catherine

She did not say anything, other than what we have all said. You beg to not be left alone.

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"When you're drowning, you don't say 'I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,' you just scream."

John Lennon

I was not fond of texting at first but I've come to like it. My son, at work, shares an office with others. With texting we can send some brief messages and no one around him has to hear him on the phone discussing things that are no ones business. If you are in a loud location and can't hear on the phone, you can text a message. If I have to remind someone of something, I don't need to waste my time calling, I just send them a text. That takes less than a minute, doesn't cost anything, and I don't have to get into a long windy phone conversation that might last a lot longer. If the person you are trying to reach is out of the service area. they will get the message, where they probably won't get the phone call. It has endless uses and few drawbacks. The main drawback is the lack of common sense that some people enjoy. You shouldn't do it while walking. You shouldn't do it while driving.

You LIKE what she said??? Did you even read what she said?

I liked what she said....but it is in direct disagreement with your close-mindedness regarding texting.

She also talked about people starting threads for the drama that ensues.... now that you might agree with but I'm surprised to see you admit it.