What do you consider to be the pros and cons of texting?

Pros pros pros! When I am in the middle of a lesson, but someone requires an answer, I text yes/no.

When I miss someone, but don’t want a whole convo, I text howya doin?

When someone needs me – and they think it’s absolutely vital – but in fact it’s just BS – then I test reply that I have a life, thanks, or I that am in a lesson. SMS has saved my soul!

It’s an easy way to send someone a quick message “Love you,” “Running 5 late,” “Pick up milk,” “Say hi to Steve for me” etc without interrupting them too much and the conversation can’t go on longer than intended.

But it’s also a good way to only half-ass at being a good friend. I find myself making dinner plans and wishing people good luck or happy birthday via text, and that’s lame.

Pros: You can talk to many people at once. It uses less battery life than making a phone call does. It can be used to put forward small information that a phone call would be unnecessary for. If you send someone a text, they will see it; if you call someone, they might not get the call. You have time to think about what you’re saying and plan it out. Sometimes it is easier to text someone than it is to call them, especially if it’s about something private.

Cons: Smug people will criticize you for texting because they think it’s inferior to speaking to people in person and they feel text shorthand will “ruin the English language”. Other than that, go for it!

Aside from some of the conveniences mentioned above by others, I have also found it is indispensible when you are in an area so densely populated by other cell phone users that calls cannot get through, but text messages can.

I experienced that at the inauguration of President Obama.

Texring is really convenient. Like you said with texting people are able to converse at times they are not able to verbally speak, and you can talk to several different people at once. My social life is based around texting, but the cons about texting I have is that young people now a days can’t speak in real life outside of texting. They become shy because texting is easier than actually carrying a real conversation. Also texting messes some people’s grammar up, they write like they text all the time.

How do you confirm that the text was received? “Pick up milk,”, fuck I never got it.

I am going to tell you how I really feel. I want to punch every mother fucker in the face that texts while they are at a stoplight. Literally. Punch a hole in their window and beat the fucking shit out of them. The rage is inside me is so intense.

I never use texting. I never have used it. I don’t have a personal cell phone. So I guess it ha never helped me.

But I think I am with @johnpowell but I’d first start with the people who do it while actually driving.

Pro-

If I were a hostage in a bank robbery I could communicate with authorities without the criminals knowing about it.

Cons-

It is inhibiting kids from learning basic face to face conversational manners.

It retards their ability to write grammatically correct and properly spelled English.

Pros
can be discreet and not overheard
gives you time to think out what you want conveyed
challenges you to be concise
delivers bits of unexpected sweetness
helps you find people in a crowd

Cons
leaves a lot to interpretation
people use emoticons rather than words and become lazy
making a traditional phone call can start to feel intrusive or unwanted
not receiving response texts can cause paranoia if no other communication is going on

@Buttonstc lol r u 4rl?

But yeah, for quick and easy communication, texting makes it pretty easy.

An example of a con: I was on my way to work and couldn’t remember if I turned the oven off or not. I sent a message to my brother to make sure I turned if off. Since he never texted back, I had to call him to make sure he actually checked because I wasn’t sure if he actually got the message.

@johnpowell If the milk was that important I wouldn’t text- it’s best used for fairly unimportant things.

I love texting, I do it all the time. However I’m very aware that if I hadn’t spent so much on texting I would be a richer man, yet I also know that I wouldnt have had as much love in my life. So, meh.

@Likeradar: I disagree that it makes for lazy friendships. I think there are often times when someone doesn’t have time or signal for a full conversation and a happy birthday text is better than nothing at all. It also lends me the opportunity to, as @hungryhungryhortence called them, send out bits of sweetness to people. I don’t have time for a call but I do have time to say, “It was great having lunch today!”

I have a good friend who has a two year old child, is looking after her 7 month old nephew, has a job and generally is the one to keep her whole household from falling apart and texting is a lot more convenient for her than a phone conversation.

I love texting! As far as I’m concerned, there are no “cons”.

I won’t be texting at stoplights anymore just in case JP is around…

The con is that its slower in getting plans made or whatever and sometimes you walk into people but its convenient and easy and you can do it at times you can’t talk on the phone…school, car ride, work. Idk I like it. Somethin different. And if your SO sends you a sweet or dirty message you can keep re reading it…..lol

@loser I’m with you buddy. Let’s carpool, I’ll text – you drive. Is JP still around – I’m scared.

I think it can become very distracting. There’s a girl in my chamber choir class that texts throughout the entire class. It really annoys me. I think texting is useful when you are in the middle of something and can’t talk on the phone but some people really over do it.

@deni, ‘and sometimes you walk into people’ – that made me laugh. I haven’t run into people, but I’ve come pretty close to walls.
@johnpowell, no really, how do you feel about texting? What’s with the anger? And what is really wrong with texting at a stoplight? You’re stopped. As in not moving. It’s not like it’s stopping you more than you’re already stopped. Isn’t that better than the texters/drivers?

@johnpowell

I text while I’m at stoplights. I LOVE DOING IT. And now I love it even more. :)

Texts can be tough because people generally expect an instantaneous response, but sometimes you just don’t feel like responding right then and there. On the flip side, you send a text and expect an instant response, and when it doesn’t come, you’re just left waiting…although there is likely someone waiting for you to respond to something too.

Pros: I can maintian communication to others if my iTouch is in a non-wifi zone
Cons: I’m not the fastest texter on the block (since I don’t really text much, I prefer using the Call option?) and so it takes a helluva long time for somebody to receive a reply from me.

Lesson to be learned from me?: Do NOT text me if you can only wait for 20 minutes or less :P

Pros: Definitely talking to however many people you want without having to go through the “okay, I think I’m gonna go clean my room” thing that I find really awkward.

Cons: You can start talking to someone you have never met, and text them all the time, yadda yadda, but when it’s time to meet them for real, the conversation may be slow and they are not the same person they were when they were texting you.