The One Where Technology Changed My Life

One piece of technology that has changed my life has been text messaging. It started as instant messaging on the computer (from AOL) to instantly on our mobile devices (specifically iMessage on iPhone) because messages are sent fast and in a thread-like format just like IM-ing. When I was thirteen years-old, I begged my parents for a cell phone. I convinced them that I needed it for my own safety and I would use it to call them in cases of emergency. I thought I was so smart and when my parents obliged, I instantly got excited. I was going to get a cell phone to call and text my friends, life was going to be great. Then my dad brought me to Wal-Mart, where all my dreams would be shattered when he brings me to the pre-paid phone aisle and asked me which phone I wanted. My wonderful, new cell phone was a tiny black flip-phone that had a data plan of 100 minutes and 20 text messages. My 100 minutes went towards calling my parents once in a while and my texts were non-existent. However, being as naïve as I was, I was extremely happy that I got this little device that I was responsible for.

Fast forward to now, I have an iPhone (TEAM IPHONE!!) with an unlimited data plan… and I still rarely text anyone. I just don’t. However, texting has become this quintessential part of my life because, although I don’t have actual conversations over text message, the technology is great to have to communicate in general. My parents text me to pick up some eggs from the store on my way home, my sister texts me while in school asking if we can get chipotle everyday (which she does and its very annoying), my friends text me to hang out. We text each other for a reason and that’s why text messages are awesome.

There are also down-sides to texting. One main thing is that texts don’t come with a tone of voice, therefore messages could be read out of context (because sarcasm is my favorite, but I just sound like an a**hole over text). Another disadvantage to text messages is that some friends will text you really long, confronting messages about how they saw you on social media with some mutual friends and they felt excluded and have felt excluded for a really long time and that makes them sad even though I have also seen them having fun with their OTHER friends without me, yet they’re being salty. I apologize for the mini rant, but the reality of texting is that it’s not the most ideal way to communicate (to which most would say doesn’t beat a good face-to-face conversation, and I agree). There are just a lot of good and bad things that can be said through text and ways to text to someone personally or to a group of people. Text messaging technology is becoming more advanced, like most other technology, and now you can even message someone short voice messages through iMessage. It’s a great technology that has definitely changed my life and I will continue to use it for the rest of my life.