The art of a text message can warm a heart and ease tension. But it can also create danger, become a boundary violation, or turn into a cell phone smashing.
The good news: It’s a new way to flirt
If you are in a stressful traveling situation, it helps to send a fun or sexy message to someone who wishes he or she could see you more often.
The way we flirt is changing according to this Chicago Tribune article. It says that “the immediacy of text-messaging makes it the preferred medium among information-barraged teens and twentysomethings-it’s the contemporary, wireless equivalent of passing notes in class.”
Well, in fact it is happening with couples and people of all ages. Can you fill in the words IWU? IWUWM? IWtoHY.
It is reminiscent of the days back when when Aristotle Onassis sent gold bracelets to his sweethears JILY or MILY.
By the by, the reporter noted that “between December 2005 and December 2007, the number of text messages sent and received in the United States increased almost fivefold, from 9.8 billion text messages a month to 48.1 billion, according to The Wireless Association.” How much love is wireless? Wireless Love
The bad news: It can be dangerous to couples
Sometimes two people know a relationship is rocky but coast along until an irritant pushes them over the edge. For one couple, the cell phone was their demise. “Whenever it rang, my wife would become furious if I didn’t tell her who was calling, ” said one young husband.
“Then at a party one night, it rang. Well it didn’t ring, it indicated a little text message.” I started to put it right back in my pocket. But before I could hide the evidence, she grabbed it and stepped on it.”
This story did not end happily. And U can tell you many variations all with the same theme from a phone call to a text message. On woman I know took the phone from her husband, opened a window and sent it sailing across the street.
Bad news: Missouri teacher crossing the line
The most disturbing text message story we heard in a long time came from Missouri. The Lamar County School Board in Missouri recently implemented a policy forbidding teachers and students from having any text-message conversations or social-networking friendships.
It seems that parents thought their child was spending time with a teacher who was helping the child overcome shyness. Education lawyer Jim Keith apparently urged the parents to check the child’s phone bill. They found 4,200 text messages between the teacher and student. From CNN.com, here is the story: Cnn.com
Bad News: Danger to Others
A recent report by Jennifer Steinhauer and Laura M. Holson for the New York Times noted, ” Though there are no official casualty statistics, there is much anecdotal evidence that the number of fatal accidents stemming from texting while driving, crossing the street or engaging in other activities is on the rise.”
They reported statistics even higher than previously noted, “In June, 75 billion text messages were sent in the United States, compared with 7.2 billion in June 2005, according to CTIA – the Wireless Association, the leading industry trade group.”
Lawmakers in many states are seeking to ban cell phone use by drivers.
Another interesting text messaging note — it appears to lower one’s IQ by 10 points!
Copyright 2008 Rita Watson