Texting Insincerely
I found this article very interesting, and upon reflection,
to be very relatable in my own experience using text messaging and instant
messaging software. I even began to notice how my friends also use the period
in the way described in the article. I think it’s fascinating that people have
developed a way to effectively convey clues about attitude and tone in a purely
text form. It did occur to me while reading that you have to be careful when interpreting
these clues because I think they are very much a cultural thing and people from
other parts of the world may use different clues or interpret the same clues
differently. I found that, while abroad, I missed clues like these and had to
adjust my way of texting and learn a different set of rules. With increasing
globalization and the large number of people from all over the world who we now
interact with, I think this is an important thing to keep in mind when
interpreting tone and layered meaning of texted communication.
Phone Use in Social Gatherings – Pew
While this is a topic I’m sure everyone has either
complained about themselves or heard someone complain about, what stuck out
most to me was some of the numbers and descriptions of the data. Firstly, the
study shows 82% of adults (not just cellphone users) say phone use hurts
gatherings while 33% say it helps. This, if I’m not mistaken, seems to indicate
that at least people chose both options? Also, what stuck out most glaringly to
me was that the study’s authors discussed how whites, blacks and hispanics viewed
the issue, while completely ignoring Asian Americans.
Teen Voices
This study also raised a few concerns. First and foremost,
the sample size was “over 100 teens.” This seems a bit small and made me wonder
is you can actually make any kind of general conclusion based on such a small
sample size? They also say that of the 100 or so teens, only 35% had dating
experience, and 24% of those teens had dated someone they met online. If the
sample size was exactly 100, that, if my math is not wrong, seems to indicate
that as few as 8 or 9 teens may have actually been able to respond to the
subject matter.
Also, some of the conclusions seemed a bit flawed. The study
states that, “for all the advantages digital communication can offer, a number
of teens in these focus groups said they are more at ease when talking to the
object of their affection face to face.” However, the quotes they use to support
this assertion don’t seem to indicate a clear preference for face-to-face
communication. The first quote says the girl “usually text[s] my crushes” but
adds that she is very open and also talks to people face-to-face. The second
says she can only flirt in person, but that it is a rare occasion when she has
been “gifted with super powers.” The third says she is “more bold over text”
and that certain things are awkward face-to-face but over text it’s OK. The
final quote, from a high school boy, says texting is good and bad, and lists
reasons why it can be bad without ever stating a preference for face-to-face.
While the first girl mentions that she does talk to people face-to-face, she
also says she usually texts when it’s her crush. The second only talks about in
person communication, but also says it only happens when she gets super powers.
The third seems to actually prefer texting, and the fourth gives a couple
downfalls to texting but doesn’t actually say he prefers to talk in person.
None of these seems to be good evidence to support the claim that teens are
more at ease face-to-face. In fact, of these four, the middle two girls
actually seem to be saying they are more at ease texting than face-to-face. The
only supported conclusion from these four quotes seems to me to be that all
four of them do not exclusively communicate through text, they also communicate
face-to-face. But I don’t see the evidence to say they prefer face-to-face
communication or that it makes them more at ease.
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