sms culture

We have been reduced to sms text messages, instead of actually speaking over the phone. My friends, long time ones and acquaintances, prefer to text me, instead of picking up the phone and saying what they have to. I find it extremely strange that people would rather send me a text message which costs just over 5-cents instead of calling.

This 'culture' has seeping into our children, who also have picked up this very bad habit of sending text messages instead of just talking. I don't find sending text messages extremely cheap, since and OK would cost as much as a 10-word sentence. And since sms messages would mean using abbreviations which are not universal, misreading happens and then the text message would have to be further clarified by more text messages. So, how does that save cost or get the message across effectively. To me, effectively means, saying it once and it's loud and clear.

So, I have now done this with my gfs who just cannot break the habit. I don't reply to their sms messages. This is done with some warning, of course - I told her not to send me sms messages anymore, but to call instead. Each time she sends me an sms, she never gets a reply.

I can understand when it is not convenient for us to speak loudly like during a meeting or discussion and some information is required - fine, send an sms message then - but otherwise, why bother? What happened to our social skills? Have that gone down the tubes too?

We cannot be so hopeless that we have zero communication skills and that we prefer to be indifferent and insensitive and unconnected with the party we are communicating with. Talking is about connecting with the other person. Give a thought to it. We do have the email system for more complicated issues which can be discussed essay style, but let's keep sms messages to the really urgent type, where conversation is not possible.