Jenkins: Texting trend is out of control
By: Jeffrey Jenkins
Issue date: 5/21/08 Section: Opinion
Imagine a chic sushi restaurant filled with beautiful patrons in swanky outfits but without the chatter and laughter that usually permeate such an establishment. But the dominant sound is instead the clickety-click of thumbs on cell phone key pads. That's right-the swanky patrons have been reduced to robots preferring to send all communication to their date and waiter via text messaging. You can imagine what it would be like, right? Are we that far away from this telephone service provider fantasy?
CellSigns Inc., a mobile applications corporation, posted on its website, www.cellsigns.com, that as of December 2006, 18.5 billion text messages are sent every month, and that number has grown by 250 percent each year for the last two years. CellSigns also noted that Verizon Wireless projects that its text messages per month will rise to an all-time high of 2 billion within two years.
Granted, text messaging has its benefits. But we have all seen those people at parties, doctors' offices, classes and more, who would rather send text messages than participate in anything that would make them have to speak. All of us have tried to have a conversation with someone who can only say yeah, really or uh-huh between the rapid clickety-click. On behalf of all those who have been ignored and brushed off with single-syllable responses: it is rude, we don't like it, and we see through the façade of fake interest.
There have been small, more serious growing trends in the world of mental and orthopedic health, as well, that suggest text messaging is getting out of control. British telephone experts have classified a new phobia that affects cell phone users. Nomophobia, which is short for no phone syndrome, is an intense fear of losing a cell phone or being out of cell phone coverage. Symptoms that occur when a nomophobic individual loses a phone or goes out of cell phone coverage include anxiety attacks and panic symptoms. One 2006 study conducted by YouGov, a British research and consulting firm, suggested that 53 percent of Britain's 45 million cell phone users suffer from this syndrome. The website www.nomophobia.com is entirely devoted to helping people cope with this ailment.
In the realm of orthopedic health, more and more people are purchasing the Imak Smart Glove, which is a supportive glove that helps reduce the pain associated with Carpel Tunnel Syndrome and BlackBerry Thumb, an inflammation of the thumbs from excessive texting or use of the BlackBerry device.
Let's not turn into a T-Mobile fantasy society that requires the use of the Smart Glove. Put down your cell phone once in a while and sincerely acknowledge another human being. Try smiling rather than typing an artificial smile constructed out of punctuation marks.
letters@chronicle.utah.edu
CellSigns Inc., a mobile applications corporation, posted on its website, www.cellsigns.com, that as of December 2006, 18.5 billion text messages are sent every month, and that number has grown by 250 percent each year for the last two years. CellSigns also noted that Verizon Wireless projects that its text messages per month will rise to an all-time high of 2 billion within two years.
Granted, text messaging has its benefits. But we have all seen those people at parties, doctors' offices, classes and more, who would rather send text messages than participate in anything that would make them have to speak. All of us have tried to have a conversation with someone who can only say yeah, really or uh-huh between the rapid clickety-click. On behalf of all those who have been ignored and brushed off with single-syllable responses: it is rude, we don't like it, and we see through the façade of fake interest.
There have been small, more serious growing trends in the world of mental and orthopedic health, as well, that suggest text messaging is getting out of control. British telephone experts have classified a new phobia that affects cell phone users. Nomophobia, which is short for no phone syndrome, is an intense fear of losing a cell phone or being out of cell phone coverage. Symptoms that occur when a nomophobic individual loses a phone or goes out of cell phone coverage include anxiety attacks and panic symptoms. One 2006 study conducted by YouGov, a British research and consulting firm, suggested that 53 percent of Britain's 45 million cell phone users suffer from this syndrome. The website www.nomophobia.com is entirely devoted to helping people cope with this ailment.
In the realm of orthopedic health, more and more people are purchasing the Imak Smart Glove, which is a supportive glove that helps reduce the pain associated with Carpel Tunnel Syndrome and BlackBerry Thumb, an inflammation of the thumbs from excessive texting or use of the BlackBerry device.
Let's not turn into a T-Mobile fantasy society that requires the use of the Smart Glove. Put down your cell phone once in a while and sincerely acknowledge another human being. Try smiling rather than typing an artificial smile constructed out of punctuation marks.
letters@chronicle.utah.edu
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posted 5/21/08 @ 1:18 PM MST
gotta love 'em...hint, hint,
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