- April 20, 2012
- Posted by: essay
- Category: Sample essay papers
The articles under consideration entitled Is texting Here to Stay by Louis Menand and As Text Messages Fly, Danger Lurks by Jennifer Steinhauer and Laura M. Holson share an important message which may be generally defined as the texting corroboration as an integral part of people’s lives. It is evidently getting more lucrative. It absorbs millions of mobile phone users displaying its irrefutable advantages.
Actually, Louis Menand is more positive about the texting than Jennifer Steinhauer and Laura M, Holson. Though the texting phenomenon will continue taking an important place in distant communication, he cites the writer David Crystal who considers modern technology integration to be quite natural, hence, any natural changes in the language cannot be harmful. His judgments are controversial, as later on he proceeds to describing disadvantages and even hazards of the texting, which clutter the language up. Menand’s arguments for and against texting usage, by the way, have much in common with what is analyzed by Jennifer Steinhauer and Laura M. Holson. It is now hard to believe that the first message was sent in Japan and became incredibly popular as it was much cheaper than phone calls.
Today it has already become a necessity, a so called “super useful tool”¯. So, it is hardly possible to find a person who does not know how to text.
According to the article As Text Messages Fly, Danger Lurks, Americans use cell-phones to send or receive more messages than phone calls. According to the statistics given, in June seventy-five billion text messages were sent in the United States compared with about seven billion in June of the year 2005 (Steinhauer & Holson). A contemporary person cannot help but use the texting and should throw into the balance the texting’s pros and cons.
The texting is definitely advantageous, though it has limitations, the number of symbols in one message is restricted, and David Crystal metaphorically compares it to composing a sonnet. Obviously, the texting serves various purposes and in some situations it is the only means of communication possible. The authors of the article As Text Messages Fly, Danger Lurks from the very beginning provide us with a vivid example of how texting was used during the recent presidential elections. Therefore, it may be applied to on political as well as personal purposes. With the help of a message one may vote for any contest participant to support him or her. Moreover, according to Menand, texting is direct and “as fast as lightning”¯, a person whom you send a text message may be busy and not able to respond, texting is less intrusive than calling. Texting also offers reception when voice calls do not. It is also convenient as one may send information any time reminding of something, when calling is impossible. What is more, people use messages when they are not willing to have face-to-face communication for some reasons, they do not dare, for instance. Sometimes they need just curt answers because of the lack of time.
The texting has a number of disadvantages, they are so significant that text-messaging ban has already been implemented for drivers as it distracts users who text while driving or crossing the street. It leads to grave consequences, moreover, it may be irritating as the majority do not follow the etiquette. Texting preferences cause isolation, disinterested attitude, vocabulary reduction related to message space economy, etc.
It has already been proved that the texting is a dangerous addiction with a number of grave consequences, though the addicts deny them. To crown it all, modern world demands that we should treat technology as a tool and benefit from it, and never let texting substitute for face-to-face communication.