The days of picking up a corded phone and dialing someone's phone number from memory are over, and it has been replaced by the cell phone text message.
I know people love texting, it can be fun using Emojis and GIFs to describe the events going on in your life. Texting is also a super convenient way to get a message across when crunched for time.
Everyone enjoys seeing they have a new message in their inbox, but what about when you're anxiously waiting for a response that never comes?
Then there is risking the chance of coming off as a jerk if you don't respond to a text message in a short time frame. Problems that never occurred in corded phone days.
When really thought about, texting is ruining communication. Here are some logical reasons as to why:
1. Men and Women Communicate Differently
If you've ever taken a communication theory class, you probably already know that men and women communicate for different reasons and in different ways.
Women use communication to connect and relate. Communication is how women create intimacy. Men, on the other hand, view communication simply as a way to convey information. Once the information is exchanged, men feel there is nothing else to be communicated.
So ladies if you are worried that you and your crush aren't having a good text conversation, this may be the reason why. Don't let your mind skip to the conclusion that he just doesn't like you, he might just have not had anything else to communicate.
2. Lack of Non-verbal Communication
Non-verbal communication, such as body language, voice inflection and facial expressions are all crucial parts of interpersonal communication.
Texting allows for none of these to be expressed, therefore creating a major disconnect. If you're a person that relies on your witty sarcasm and quirky personality traits to help you through social situations, you can forget about that when you're on your phone.
Good luck trying to convey your sarcasm as sarcasm, and not a rude insult. Without proper voice inflection, it's impossible to decipher the true meaning.
Non-verbals aren't always easy to interpret in the first place, and texting just makes it worse. Ugh.
3. Texting Makes Ignoring Easier
In real life when someone ignores you, you know instantaneously thats exactly what they're doing. In text life, that is so not the case at all. It could be hours until you realize that your text message was read, but not seen as reply-worthy. The anxiety begins to build, wondering when, if ever, you'll hear from that person again. By the time you realize your rejection you've had plenty of time to mull it over, and the end result is feeling pretty crappy.
There is also the fact that texting gives people the power to do or say something mean, and not have to witness the effects of those actions. Dangerous, right?
4. Hey, Hi, Hello, How ya doing
Greetings are a thing of the past, thanks to texting. I can't even remember the last time I received a text that started with a greeting, can you?
It is almost as if you have to think of a specific reason (funny observation, or dear memory) to send someone a text message. To me, that is just crazy.
Same goes for ending a conversation. I can't remember the last time I had a text conversation end with a goodbye. This is where is gets really confusing. How do you know a conversation is over and done with if no one says so?
5. Texting is Becoming Unnecessary
As technology keeps progressing, texting is becoming more and more unnecessary. If you think about it, it is just as easy to call or FaceTime someone as it is to compose a text. Texting is just another way for people to interact with one another, but with a load of extra subtle nuances and undue worry.
