For us millennials, getting our first phone was a rite of passage. First you crawled, then you walked, you said your first words, and finally, you sent your first text message. Whether it was during the Blackberry era and you sent out a mass message asking your friends for their BBM pin or struggled to click on the right key three times in order to type “Hi” on your pink Razer, we’ve all been there.
Our generation had the luxury of growing up with this technology. Unlike our parents, we never had to learn how to text; we just were thrown into it. Not only did we text the lingo, but we evolved into speaking it in real life.
If something funny happens, maybe you laugh out loud, or maybe you simply state that you are “laughing out loud,” commonly known to millennials as “loling.” Life was much simpler before this. Our parents did not confuse the LOL abbreviation for “Lots of love” because they did not have to interact with it. Now, we’ve thrown our loved ones into the ring of abbreviations, emoji’s that simplify phrases, and revoke the idea that catching up had to be done via phone call.
The problem lies in the miscommunication that texting creates.
For us, a text is sufficient communication. We text our families updates on our day, how we are feeling, or merely just send an emoji that encompasses our feelings.
For those not in our generation, texting becomes a platform for planning. We receive texts such as, “when can you talk?” or “call me when you can.” This confusion creates tension, “Mom we just texted, we did talk.”
If your parent doesn’t take part in this, maybe you’re more familiar with the kinds of texts Moms often send. Instead of a short and efficient message, our generation often finds themselves being bombarded with long paragraphs, filled with endless questions and concerns from our parents. Again, Mom, this isn’t directed at you, you’re not the only one.
Texting is a huge topic of controversy. If you’re like my Mom, you will try to avoid this by all means. Whether you dictate your messages or send the commonly used phrase of “call me.” Texting widens the gap between our generations. While we sit in class and text 100 words a minute and post an Instagram without looking up, our parents struggle to even text with two hands.
So how can we even the playing field? Clearly, Millennials are at a huge advantage when it comes to technology, but the effort of our parents cannot go unrecognized. Instead of giving our parents and grandparents ridicule about the length of their texts, the incorrect use of abbreviations, and their general incompetence towards technology, let's congratulate them on trying.
Like they always told us, don’t give up, practice makes perfect, and any other cliché phrase that encourages people to keep trying. So cheers to you Moms of the world, you’re doing great. 
