by Laurie Miles

Created on: May 30, 2008

Texting is another language from another universe that we are forced to contend with in the "hurry up" world we live in. Everyone I know is always too busy to have a proper conversation. Texting then becomes the easy way. Abbreviate here, leave out vowels and consonants there, and before you know it, you are not using the real words anymore.

Texting is not going to go away, and in fact is becoming more prevalent as time goes on. This impacts our communication skills with each other and not in a good way.

"U hav 2 b really good w/ ur fone 2 txt fst".

I actually got this sentence from my teenage daughter. Does anybody know what it says?
Translated into English: "You have to be really good with your phone to text fast".

As a society we are spelling incorrectly, and decimating words at record speed. All because we are in a hurry.

Thanks to my teenagers, I read and type text fluently. I don't know if this is a good thing or not, but it's there and is not going to go away.

Why? Because it's easy, fast, and a quick fix to the old-fashioned telephone conversation. Much like email has reversed the art of letter writing, texting has completely changed phone protocol.

I have to force my teenagers to speak in complete sentences. I like getting a phone call from my kids saying, "Hi mom, what time do I have to be home"? I enjoy hearing their voices, and I know by the tone and inflection that they are happy or sad.

Texting shows no emotion. It is cut and dried and over in a second. You can misspell and make up words as you go without anybody thinking you're stupid. You can display no grammar skills whatsoever and somehow that is acceptable.

I will be driving in my car and one of my kids will send me a text. I can't respond to them because I am simply not capable of texting while driving. I have to pull over and call them. They will not answer the phone call, but they will send me another text. "mom, r u ther"? I have to call again, hoping they will actually look at the caller ID and know that it is me.
Finally, I am able to actually have verbal communication. I tell them I am driving, I can't text and I will be home soon. Everything is then okay, but what a waste of time!

This does not mean I condone driving and talking on cell phones, but texting is in a world of it's own. It should be in the same league as drinking and driving, because it is impossible to do either one.

Texting is not limited to teenagers. The corporate world is increasingly using it as a means of communicating

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