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Text Messaging Guide:When the Internet first became popular everyone was online in chat rooms and downloading chat software like AIM to talk with their friends while using a computer. Online chat is still very popular, but those with cell phones can now "chat" all day long and don't need a PC anymore. Mobile phones have become the mainstay for teenagers and young adults in terms of communication and keeping in contact with friends and family. If you have teenagers you know how often they are texting on their phones. It has become an addictive habit for many as they can't be without their cell phones for more than a few minutes and then they have to respond immediately. Often the messages are not important and very short in nature. You hear about messages that say "Sally just said ... blah blah blah .... about Jen" or "What's up tonight". It's almost like a running narration of their every move. Some schools have had to ban the use of cell phones at school because kids were text messaging all day long in class and even cheating on tests by getting answers sent to them via SMS (Short Message Service).
Unlimited Text Messaging:Cell phone companies are trying to keep up with the demand for text messaging as the # of text messages sent across networks increases from year to year. Many parents are unaware that their cell phone plans don't allow for unlimited text messages and have been hit with big bills the first month or 2 of allowing a teenager to have a new phone. We heard stories of some bills reaching $1000's and parents didn't realize that their kids were sending 100's of messages each day and that each message cost money. If you are going to give your teenager access to a cell phone make sure the cellular plan offers unlimited text messaging or decide on a daily limit that your teenager must follow (easier said than done I must say). AT&T and Verizon are the largest cellular carriers in the United States and both offer packages with no limit on the amount of text messages you can send or receive.
Text Message - Dangers:One of the first obvious dangers of young people texting everywhere they go is that they try doing it while driving vehicles. A recenty study by AAA found that almost 50% of teens aged 16 to 17 text while driving. We are not talking about once or just a few times, we are talking about a daily activity that is part of their generation. I find my nephews texting while at family dinners such as Christmas or Thanksgiving and I wonder what could be so important that you have to disrupt an event like that to send a text. Many states like California have made it illegal to use your cell phone to make calls or text message while driving. You can still use a headset if you wish, but text messaging is out. I watched a show on Dr. Phil recently where teens came on the show to talk about this issue of texting while driving and one boy had killed a women while looking down to text. Another widespread danger is that rumors are often circulated via text messages these days with girls making comments about other girls. It's become so common that text messaging is used as form of communication between young adults that boyfriends and girlfriends are now breaking up via text messages. That seems insane to me that you don't have enough courage to say it with your own voice in person. Supposedly the use of text messaging has conditioned many of these teenagers to think and use abbreviations even when they get real jobs and are required to email clients or coworkers using modern English. Who knows, perhaps the younger generation is on to something and in the future we'll all be using text message lingo in our emails at work.
Common Abbreviations/Acronyms - Translations:If you are going to become an expert at text messaging and carrying on a chat via cell phone or online, you need to find shortcuts on larger words and phrases and be able to use all the acronyms that have developed over the last few years. The list continues to grow as new abbreviations are formed each day. We found a great website that lets you translate all sorts of abbreviations into common (and not so common) phrases. It's almost like having a decoder ring if you need to decipher a text message you get from your daughter or son. The website is located online HERE. We have tried to include a few of the more popular examples down below so you can get an idea of how they work
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