Friday, April 16, 2010
Texting Wasn't Even a Word
I think text messaging is getting way out of hand. I was in a shuttle bus the other day on my way to the airport, and of the five of us, four were busily texting away on the 5-minute trip from parking to terminal—thankfully not the driver. No eye contact was made, no pleasantries exchanged. Granted, it was very early in the morning, and I can’t honestly say how much pleasant I could have mustered. But still. I was at a meeting recently, and someone was texting during the presenter’s opening talk, well within view of everyone in the room—including the presenter. I had a party a few weeks ago, and one guest jumped to his BlackBerry every time it signaled “incoming.” It seems to me that we’ve gone from Pony Express to an I-can’t-live-a-minute-without-outside-stimulation-and-everyone-needs-me-at-all-times mentality in pretty short order. It’s rude. And your thumbs are gonna stay that way.
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You made me think of a This American Life story I heard on NPR yesterday. The storyteller said that those Pony Express letters, although infrequent, were full of import. Today, because it's so easy to communicate, we take it for granted and communicate often, but say very little.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/246/My-Pen-Pal
Well said. Thanks for writing.
ReplyDeleteI remember when I thought that a pager was the worst thing my company could do to me...then texting and pushed emails..
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