Can someone explain the appeal of text messages?

[Almita]

For me I text, but not overboard like many people. I have unlimited texting. I just text people so i can contact them, know what is going to happen that day, etc. When we want to talk about what ever we are on the phone because it takes forever to text it all on a phone, or hard to explain by texting and IM. So mostly i text people most of the time during the weekday when calling is not for free unless i'm at home i can call.

[RedHedd]

What if you are talking to your girlfriend?

Ditto - If you are talking about things your parents shouldn't hear, then you probably shouldn't be talking about them at all.

[sparks19]

Well we have the unlimited text messaging plan on our phone but it was mostly because when we had to live seperately (me in Canada and him in the US) I could always just send him a quick text for free rather than pay long distance charges lol

And then sometimes I text him during the day while we are working if I have a question since we aren't always available to talk on the phone.

Just an added convenience sometimes

[Kfamr]

I use texting a lot.
I get unlimited minutes and unlimited texting. However, it's a lot easier to text someone and say that you're on your way rather than call and have to go into a long conversation when you're going to see them in a few minutes.

As someone who doesn't like to talk on the phone, text messaging is perfect.
At work I can keep in contact with friends and family without interrupting my work. Actually, it keeps me smiling during the day because my cousin and I message eachother back and forth while at work. We work the same job, just different locations.

My old phone was a prepaid phone. For some reason, I was still able to text without having any minutes on the phone. So basically, I was able to keep in contact with people for free.

For those that pay for each text/minute on their phones, it's generally cheaper to text.

[sparks19]

Ditto - If you are talking about things your parents shouldn't hear, then you probably shouldn't be talking about them at all.

LOL It's not nessecarily things your parents shouldn't hear.... more things you don't want them to hear hahaha.

I don't know any teen that wants their parents to hear them sweet talk their g/f or b/f hehe In my house that would have led to "teasing" about having a b/f and how cute it was lol

[shais_mom]

I have unlimited minutes also and unlimited txting to people in my network - I have a few people not in my network and I have to pay to txt them. But its more convient to txt someone and tell them that you miss them or you are thinking of them than to call them sometimes.

[crow_noir]

I use texting for messaging S.O. when I'm on the computer. Our new dial-up is horrible and getting a decent connection is random luck. If i have a good connection I don't want to get off the computer.

Also, since getting rid of his pager i prefer this. I HATE leaving messages on voice mail. By the time you get through all the prompts you've forgotten what you were going to say.

*sigh*

I miss the days of the C.B. (the original chat rooms!!!)

[luckies4me]

I'm not too fond of sending regular text messages...or recieving them for that matter, but I LOVE sending picture messages! Since none of my family live near me and cannot see/visit me and my children it's nice to have the ability to send pictures to them during the day when one of them does something too adorable you have to send and share. WOW, talk about a run on sentence lol.

[Blue_Frog]

I've read most of the thread so far, and I do a lot of what people have already posted.

I text a lot more than I talk on my cell phone. I don't like talking on the phone to a lot of people (there are a few exceptions however). This is because i did phone technical support for around 6 years -- so, 5 days a week, 8.5 hour days of nothing but talk-talk-talk to customers, call after call. It kind of threw me off wanting to talk on the phone a lot on my personal time, even now *lol*

I text message with my boyfriend throughout the day when hes at work - because he does technical support as well, i can send him quick messages and get quick messages back without inturrupting him doing his job. I also text him from moms farm on the weekends -- again, long distance costs money, but the text messages are free regardless of where I am. Makes it a lot cheaper when all i want to do is send the "thinking of you" message, and get my "kisses" in return

I also chat mostly with people through MSN - make plans, generally chat, etc. since you can maintain many conversations at once. I've even got my parents on MSN - since they like to call me at work at the most inopportune times, it gives them a chance to send me messages knowing that i'll get back to them when I can

[Alysser]

For me text messaging is just an added convience. I don't overly use texting like alot of people, and mostly talk on the phone. At times I have short conversations with text, I use it to send a short message, etc. I don't really enjoy it as it takes forever for me to type a message even with "t9 word".

[BitsyNaceyDog]

I don't text message people too often, when I do it's usually to Justin. Justin works from home but often has meetings outside of the house, if I need to get a hold of him I often text him so I don't interrupt him if he's in a meeting. I usually end up texting him "call me when you can". Also sometimes I will text Justin a list of things I need him to pick up from the store on his way home, if I tell him verbally he'll get it all wrong. It's also sometimes nice to just text him a simple "I love you".

[Aspen and Misty]

Ditto - If you are talking about things your parents shouldn't hear, then you probably shouldn't be talking about them at all.

Just so you guys know, whenever I text messege I think of this thread now, lol!

Ashley

[RICHARD]

I have never sent a text message in my life.

I can see why talking to or seeing someone in person is awkward, who needs that personal contact?

Why should I..

Drive over to a friend's house to get a warm human hug?
Be able to see a tear in the corner of the same friend's eye when
she tells me she is down?
Have to look into those same eyes and watch them smile?
Share a soda or having to stay for a meal?
Sprawl out on a couch for an hour of two of TV?
put up with a crazy laugh, when I can sanitize it in a text message?

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Some of my favorite Stupid Text Tricks are-

Having people pay more attention to a Blackberry than to our converstation.

Watching a person interrupt a conversation with an incoming text message, then call that same person two seconds later on a cell phone.

Like, why not just call them and skip a step?

Sitting in on a meeting and watching people text, five minutes later they ask about the topic that was being discussed while they were typing!

YOU CANNOT TEXT AND DRIVE A MANUAL TRANSMISSION!


People who will look at text message and ignore it because it's "from work".
Then kill themselves to take a message "from home" because it's "from home"
I love that in business people!

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I just saw a cartoon where there are two adults talking One is staring intently at a baby held in their arms...The other adult says, "That's not a birthmark, It's a USB port...."

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IT's bad enough that there are so many people that are going blind on their own......Just wait...in a few years you'll be crashing into shiat becuase that little LED screen made you go blind!

Follow the white rabbit. Mr Smith will straighten you out.

[CathyBogart]

I'm hard of hearing and my boyfriend is softspoken.

[sparks19]

I'm hard of hearing and my boyfriend is softspoken.

it's the opposite in my house.... minus the soft spoken part hehe....

but it's funny that everyone thinks that if you send text messages you are a shut in that is void of human contact lol. SOMETIMES it is just better to text. Like the other day.... hubby didn't have a pen and needed a phone number. so I looked it up and sent a text to his phone.... pen problem solved

and while I wish all those months we had to live in seperate countries that I could just drive over to him and get a hug..... that simply was not feasible to drive 9 hours there and 9 hours back everyday. It's a nice thought but just not possible lol. Not to mention long distance phone charges YIKES (this was before we got Vonage which is also a God send lol)

someone mentioned the grocery list.... OH MAN is texting a God send for that. lol hubby can be forgetful.... he needs a hard copy list lol.

and sometimes while he is at work he can't take a phone call.... that's not to say we sit there and text back and forth while he can't take a phone call but a quick text to say "I'm thinking of you" or "I love you" is sometimes nice. I love to get a text from him during a hectic day and open the phone to see "I love you" written on the screen. Makes me feel better.