It seems to me an overwhelming amount of today's technologically-savvy generation are constant texters, and a whopping fraction of those individuals have an iPhone. There's no surprise there.

But texting, texting, texting. I know for me, it's become a habit, although it has evolved since I've come to college. My high school enforced a strict "no phones" policy, which kept me off my phone from 8:10 a.m. to 3 p.m.most days out of fear of getting caught. Now that I'm in college, there's less pressure to use my phone. I have access to it whenever I want or need to use it, and so I don't need to be constantly glued to it. Also, most of the people that I need to talk to are around me on a daily basis (although it's also become a convenient way of checking in with those that aren't walking around on my campus with me).

Still, a lot of this process has stayed the same since I became a bit of a phone addict during high school. Every time I feel my phone vibrate, I have an immediate impulse. I used to have a different ringtone for certain people, and eventually, my brain trained itself to even wake up in the middle of my sleep to respond to only certain ringtones.

But the point I'm trying to make here isn't that I love texting and blah, blah, blah. No. I just want you to know that you're more than blue bubbles. (Or green bubbles. Or whatever color speech bubbles your phone generates when you send an outgoing message).

I noticed throughout the past few years as I grew more attached to my texting conversations that I gather information about people not simply through what they're saying, but also what they're texting pattern is. I cannot even begin to list how many misunderstandings I've witnessed as a result of texting. Something as simple as an unfamiliar period at the end of a sentence, a dreaded read receipt, or even a series of short responses can be a determining factor in liking or loathing any given person.

For example, I'm one of those people who often "out-types" my fellow conversationalist because I generally type and think quickly. So, in my case, there have been times when I've offered an uncharacteristically short response that left another person baffled, and even seriously offended. On the other hand, I know many people who type very concise responses, but always have a lot to say when I see them in person.

Just like everyone has their own style of communication in person, so also do people have unique methods of texting, or otherwise communicating any sort of text information (e-mailing, other instant messaging, etc.) In person, individuals vary in their use of tone, body language, speaking speed, and other qualities. With texting, everyone uses different abbreviations, punctuation, emojis, and length of response. I know -- it seems like analyzing texting is some weird science... and let's face it, it sort of is.

But sometimes, people's text messages aren't an accurate depiction of how a person genuinely communicates. This is why friendships and relationships strictly based on texting (or comparable messaging) are emotionally dangerous! Most technology users have been told multiple times that "nothing beats face-to-face communication," but not everyone considers how their perception of a person can be completely inaccurate, all because of little speech bubbles.

Don't get me wrong. I text all the time, and I think that it's a completely useful tool. But we have to remember we have so much more power than we realize in our ability to text. We have an ability to communicate outside of ourselves, an ability to share our ideas, thoughts, emotions, and stories without even being physically present. A little piece of who we are shows up on another person's screen, often preceded by a cute little ringtone that lets someone else know that we are arriving. Then we receive a piece of that person back, in the palm of our hand.

The main takeaway here is that you are not your speech bubbles. Even in the most detailed and elaborate text conversation, there is no way the entirety of who you are is present in those little messages. Whether you share raw emotions or homework advice through texting, your messages only reflect a microscopic fraction of who you are... and the same goes for everyone else around you. Don't base your relationships solely off your text messages, and carefully discern what messages are important. Technology can only do so much.

And sometimes, it does amazing things. I've had quite a few moments where the biggest gift at that instant was receiving a text message from my best friend in the whole wide world, with words of love, encouragement, and happiness.

But nothing compares to being side by side with that person and telling them how amazing they are to their face.