Learning to Text

One of my primary goals this summer is to learn how to text with my cell phone.  I realize this does not sound like a significant goal, but for a mom of teens, it’s apparent to me that if I hope to communicate efficiently with my daughters, in a language they will respond to and much prefer, then it’s time to get with the program.  This morning I read a newspaper article confirming my own experience at my house.  This next generation views e-mail as an archaic form of communication, almost right up there with the telegraph and the Pony Express.  When forced to connect with adults for a more professional or educational purpose, the teens grudgingly use e-mail.  But it is most certainly not their first choice.  If an adult wants an immediate response from a teen, texting is the only way to go.

This raises a bit of an issue for me.  With a regular kind of cell phone, those letters and buttons are teeny tiny, and oh so inconvenient.  I will never be as lightning fast as my girls, who can text under a table or desk at school without even looking at their fingers.  My younger daughter tried to teach me to text once.  But she explained everything so fast and was terribly impatient with her technically challenged mother.  So I told them both that I expect a nice, slow series of lessons now that we are breathing easier in the lazier days of summer.  We’ll see how they do.  I may have to hire a person outside the family to teach me well!

Then there is the entire universe of texting language – the abbreviations I don’t know, the phrases my daughters will undoubtedly use that cause me to scratch my head and wonder just what they are trying to say.  I am steeling myself for their ridicule when I concoct my own abbreviations, knowing that I will never be as cool as them!

So why risk this embarrassment and waste my time learning something new?  Primarily because one daughter is heading off to college, and I know if I have any hope of staying in touch, texting is it.  She won’t frequently check e-mail, and she hates it when I leave a voice message on her cell phone.  Why don’t young people like the sound of another person’s voice?  I always try to be pleasant, to tell her I love her…but both my girls say, “We already know you called us by looking at our phone…you don’t really need to say anything…that takes too long to listen to.”  Well, EXCUSE ME for trying to express something to my daughters with the human voice!!!  I’ll just have to get over this and join the revolution.  I’m still not on Facebook…that will have to wait awhile because texting is enough of a challenge for one summer.

Comments

[John Carlson]

This is a really funny post Nancy! I can relate - except more to my Niece and the college students I've worked with. (Shailee isn't texting - yet anyway! But she'll talk in "text" sometimes. ("BRB Dad!") Huh?

On a related note, I found this article through a blog this morning that was interesting. In some sense, not totally new information. On the other hand, a good reality to look at in learning/understanding the mindset and work habits/culture of a younger generation. http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/why_gen_y_is_going_to_change_the_web.php

- John Carlson

[John Carlson]

From that past article I referenced, be sure not to miss reading this link http://sachachua.com/wp/2008/05/09/the-gen-y-guide-to-web-20-at-work/ and then read the "about me" at http://sachachua.com/wp/about/

It will inform, greatly inspire, and make you feel really old and completely out it at the same time! Just what we need. This gal is from another planet I think. And she's only 25.

- J

[Peter Hamm]

Everybody laughs at me when I text (especially my wife, but it's part of her job to laugh at me), because it takes me so long. If I had teenagers I'd have to learn for sure.