Do you like texting?

[Criseyde]

I don't like texting. I think it's fun for occasional use. But I basically never want to hold a conversation by SMS.

Sometimes I feel like I'm missing out on 90% of the social interaction that takes place among my peers because of this.

What about you?

[Angela]

No, I don't text, and no, I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything by not texting.

But I'd answer if it were you texting me, if I happened to notice.

[Criseyde]

Originally Posted by Angela

No, I don't text, and no, I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything by not texting.

But I'd answer if it were you texting me, if I happened to notice.

Aww, Angela. I'd answer if you were texting me, too!

[wstein]

Originally Posted by Criseyde

Sometimes I feel like I'm missing out on 90% of the social interaction that takes place among my peers because of this.

This is sure a benefit !! It’s one of the reasons I don’t text (it’s blocked on my phone).

When I want social interaction, I go see people, in person, face to face, the old fashion way.

[Rezzy7]

Texting plans are a RIPOFF. I have only the minimum available and hate having to pay even that.

I don't mind texting people or getting texts, and sometimes it's preferable (like getting a name, number, email or physical address correct). But I DISKLIKE having entire conversations via text. It's so SLOW! And annoying fixing autocorrect's incorrect guesses.

Those people who are texting making you feel you're missing out are themselves missing out on having an actual conversation with you!

[votoshka]

I don't text much, but it can be useful sometimes. For example, if I'm in a noisy room and I need to send a short message/ask a question, texting can be easier. But I don't tend to have conversations by text. Pfft.... there are easier and faster ways to converse I think!

[Apresto]

exactly what votoshka said but in a manly voice

[Came]

It's just easier to use something like facebook. Even if it's on your phone, it's quicker and free (although normally if you've got internet access on your phone, you're going to have plenty of free texts...).

[James81]

Yep, I love texting. Texting has opened up an avenue of communication that I very much prefer and making it so that I rarely (if ever) have to talk on the phone (something I HATE to do). I'd much rather talk to someone face-to-face than on the phone, but if I can't do that, I'm glad there is email and texting.

And I'm waiting for the day that most people come out of the stone age and embrace things like texting and email. And it confuses me why lots of people seem to have a problem with this form of communication.

[momo3bur]

This gal loves texting on any phone but the one I have currently. Well, that may be a lie. I had a Blackberry for a few years and became spoiled beyond recognition, then I suddenly had to go back to one of those slide out keyboard phones and I hated it.

It's been lost for three months now, which is stupid, I know, but I didn't realize it was gone for a few weeks because of how seldom I used it.

I loved my Blackberry... I can't imagine every feeling so strongly about another phone without having a tinge of guilt behind my fingies.

Otherwise, texting is awesome. I'm in the middle of nowhere boonies, so it's easier to send a text message at times than to make a phone call because of the service. I wouldn't have phone service without texting in the mix.

[AllTogetherNow]

i do like texting - i don't see it as "either-or" to other forms of communication, i view it as additional to other forms of communication, another tool in the box, which can be useful in certain circumstances.

i'm a musician so i'm often in noisy rooms or at gigs - no way to hear anything by talking - so texting can be very effective for locating people in crowded rooms or at festivals, telling them where to find me, sharing basic information like addresses, directions for people coming to the gig, etc.

it can also be a way of taking the emotional charge out of a difficult communication; I sometimes must share 'life business' information with my ex-husband. Texting is a very good way to do this without it degenerating into pushing each other's buttons, (or having to expend energy avoiding that possibility), as can sometimes occur in face-to-face conversation.

it's also good for reference information - addresses, directions, travel information, meeting plans, etc. to eliminate the necessity and extra steps of finding a piece of paper to write things down. having reference info right in the phone is so much more efficient than creating extra steps to write it down, carry a piece of paper with me, and have to refer to that while on my way somewhere.

and it's also fun for sending a quick message, or a picture, just to make someone smile or let them know you're thinking of them - one of my bff's does this all the time - sends me a pic of what he's doing to share it with me, or something he's looking at in a store, or what he's created that day at work ..... i enjoy getting fun texts and fotos, and sending them too..... even if it's someone i see and talk to in person all the time, it just adds another fun dimension to the friendship.

[Angela]

Originally Posted by James81

And I'm waiting for the day that most people come out of the stone age and embrace things like texting and email. And it confuses me why lots of people seem to have a problem with this form of communication.

If you want people to use a form of communication, and people don't want to use that form of communication, who is it that has the problem?

[Angela]

I'm sure there are people who struggle about texting/not texting... and some, like me, just enjoy other modes of communication, no hay problemo.

[James81]

Originally Posted by Angela

If you want people to use a form of communication, and people don't want to use that form of communication, who is it that has the problem?

I don't mean to say I have a problem with someone who doesn't want to text. I'm willing to call those people who don't text. (For instance, my parents don't text, so I usually call them.)

If you don't want to use a form of communication, that's your choice (and a valid one at that).

It's the people who have ISSUES with people who like to text that confuse me. (Of course, they are free to have those issues if they want. I'm just saying that to get bent out of shape because people prefer a form of communication is a bit puzzling to me.

[James81]

PS. momo3bur, lets be texting buddies.

[ZephyrusX]

I have never texted before in my life.

I imagine it is like instant chat though, which I don't mind doing. It gives me the breathing space to talk to people in between doing other things, which I understand annoys the hell out of some other people. I don't mind it though. I just have to avoid IMing people who don't like the long intervals in between texts.

[Angela]

Originally Posted by James81

I don't mean to say I have a problem with someone who doesn't want to text. I'm willing to call those people who don't text. (For instance, my parents don't text, so I usually call them.)

If you don't want to use a form of communication, that's your choice (and a valid one at that).

It's the people who have ISSUES with people who like to text that confuse me. (Of course, they are free to have those issues if they want. I'm just saying that to get bent out of shape because people prefer a form of communication is a bit puzzling to me.

I don't know anyone like that, but I can imagine folks having issues with people who insist on texting or view you as a stone ager if you don't want to!

I had a friend who needed to talk every day on the phone for at least 15 minutes. I had an issue with that. I wanted to be her friend, but I didn't share that requirement for communication, I wasn't willing to fulfill that condition, and for her, it was a no-compromise deal-breaker, and it ended our friendship. I was sad about that, but there you go.

[James81]

Originally Posted by Angela

I had a friend who needed to talk every day on the phone for at least 15 minutes. I had an issue with that. I wanted to be her friend, but I didn't share that requirement for communication, I wasn't willing to fulfill that condition, and for her, it was a no-compromise deal-breaker, and it ended our friendship. I was sad about that, but there you go.

That's sad. How did she end it? Just trail off into the great big wide void? Or end it violently in a huffy argument?

(Also, I reserve the right to think of people who don't text as Stone Agers. I also like to think of them as fuddy-duddies. )

[Criseyde]

Originally Posted by James81

I don't mean to say I have a problem with someone who doesn't want to text. I'm willing to call those people who don't text. (For instance, my parents don't text, so I usually call them.)

If you don't want to use a form of communication, that's your choice (and a valid one at that).

It's the people who have ISSUES with people who like to text that confuse me. (Of course, they are free to have those issues if they want. I'm just saying that to get bent out of shape because people prefer a form of communication is a bit puzzling to me.

I get a little bent out of shape when people insist on holding lengthy conversations with me by text, which is how this thread got started. Does that confuse you?

I don't like feeling like a slave to my phone, but I also don't like to ignore people. So, I tell all my friends: "please don't be offended, this isn't personal at all, but I don't like to have conversations by text." 9 times out of 10, they listen and contact me in other ways to chat: . But the other 10% insists on texting me all the time anyway: . When people insist on texting me all the time, I have to either do the slave to phone thing or the ignoring thing. So that puts me in an unfortunate spot.

But last night I decided to become one of those people who calls you back when you text them. That might solve my problem, hey?

[James81]

Originally Posted by Criseyde

I get a little bent out of shape when people insist on holding lengthy conversations with me by text, which is how this thread got started. Does that confuse you?

I don't like feeling like a slave to my phone, but I also don't like to ignore people. So, I tell all my friends: "please don't be offended, this isn't personal at all, but I don't like to have conversations by text." 9 times out of 10, they listen and contact me in other ways to chat. But the other 10% insists on texting me all the time anyway. When people insist on texting me all the time, I have to either do the slave to phone thing or the ignoring thing. So that puts me in an unfortunate spot.

But last night I decided to become one of those people who calls you back when you text them. That might solve my problem, hey?

I get that you don't like to text. And I get that you would rather talk on the phone than hold lengthy conversations via text. Perfectly reasonable choices and preferences.

I think it's the idea that they are putting you in an unfortunate spot that confuses me here. At this point, you've been very direct and explicit about your preferences. For those that don't respect those preferences I would suggest you doing one of two things:

1. Ignoring them outright and let them go their separate ways for more compatible friends.

2. Accepting that those 10% of friends would like to text you rather than call you and you decide whether or not they are worth keeping in your life and worth compromising your own preferences for.

Either choice is perfectly acceptable. Acting like they are forcing you into a hard spot is playing the victim game, though.

[Angela]

Originally Posted by James81

That's sad. How did she end it? Just trail off into the great big wide void? Or end it violently in a huffy argument?

Very civilized, just, "well, I need that, and if you're not willing to fulfill my need, that's that." I think she felt a little bit miffed, like I was being unreasonable, but she got married not too long after that and now she has someone to talk to for 15 minutes every night!

(Also, I reserve the right to think of people who don't text as Stone Agers. I also like to think of them as fuddy-duddies. )

I happily grant you that freedom. What I was saying is, I can understand why that would inspire people to have issues in communication -- feeling judged or pressured to conform. (Remember you said you find it a bit puzzling? It's not cuz you prefer texting, I don't think; it's because of what you be about it or make it mean in the relationship, is what I'm suggesting.)

Like that former friend of mine: I was perfectly fine with her wanting 15 minutes of conversation on the phone every night; I had no issues with that. I just wasn't interested in being the one who had to meet that requirement. From her perspective, there was something wrong either with me or with the relationship that I wasn't willing; it meant (to her) that we couldn't be friends. My issue (such as it was) was the sadness I felt that not talking on the phone MEANS we're not really friends; I didn't have that meaning about friendship, and would have very happily continued as her friend, only talking less often or less long, free of mandates or rules about it.

Thanks for reminding me of this. I'm gonna call her.

[Andrew Gubb]

Sometimes. Long convos by text are so time consuming though.

[Angela]

Oh, yeahhh, there's that thing people sometimes do with texting, I've read a bunch of people here in the forums complaining about this from the texter's point of view: the irritation you feel when someone doesn't respond to your texts. I've had people send several texts that I never saw, and finally call or email or facebook me all frustrated: "why didn't you respond?!?" ... and I've heard others talk about that like it's a great sin to keep a texter waiting for a response. I can understand the frustration the FIRST time that happens, but after that, I would think you would have learned about me that you'll get a faster response if you call or email or facebook me than if you text me.

[Criseyde]

Originally Posted by James81

Either choice is perfectly acceptable. Acting like they are forcing you into a hard spot is playing the victim game, though.

I'm not. Like I said before, I'm going to start calling people back when they text me.

Yes, I edited this post to tone down some major snark. I just... feel like... you never listen. Ever. Ever ever ever ever ever. I think I'm going to stop trying to explain things to you. For some reason, it's not working well for me.

[James81]

Originally Posted by Criseyde

I'm not. Like I said before, I'm going to start calling people back when they text me.

That you did. I was responding to the bolded part below:

Originally Posted by Criseyde

I get a little bent out of shape when people insist on holding lengthy conversations with me by text, which is how this thread got started. Does that confuse you?

I don't like feeling like a slave to my phone, but I also don't like to ignore people. So, I tell all my friends: "please don't be offended, this isn't personal at all, but I don't like to have conversations by text." 9 times out of 10, they listen and contact me in other ways to chat: . But the other 10% insists on texting me all the time anyway: . When people insist on texting me all the time, I have to either do the slave to phone thing or the ignoring thing. So that puts me in an unfortunate spot.

But last night I decided to become one of those people who calls you back when you text them. That might solve my problem, hey?

[Criseyde]

Did you see my edit?

[James81]

Originally Posted by Criseyde

Did you see my edit?

No, I didn't.

You're in good company. You're one of a handful of people here who feel that way. (You weren't one of the ones going off on this spiel in that facebook discussion, were you?)

[RonSouther]

I love texting...it allows me to express something inside me that can't wait untit the other person is free to talk. Nobody has to keep a conversation going in real time. Mostly I use it to share a thought.

[ZephyrusX]

Just out of curiosity, do you always tell people when you are going to ignore them? You have a tendency not to reply to stuff I direct at you at times, which is fine. I'm assuming you are just busy or disinterested. I think the most healthy thing to do in my case is to move on and find people who won't ignore me. Is this a courtesy that you only reserve towards 'friends' though?

Originally Posted by Criseyde

I don't like feeling like a slave to my phone, but I also don't like to ignore people.

[Criseyde]

Originally Posted by James81

No, I didn't.

You're in good company. You're one of a handful of people here who feel that way. (You weren't one of the ones going off on this spiel in that facebook discussion, were you?)

I was there.

Originally Posted by ZephyrusX

Just out of curiosity, do you always tell people when you are going to ignore them? You have a tendency not to reply to stuff I direct at you at times, which is fine. I'm assuming you are just busy or disinterested. I think the most healthy thing to do in my case is to move on and find people who won't ignore me. Is this a courtesy that you only reserve towards 'friends' though?

When have I ignored you? I didn't mean to.