Telltale Texting

 

telltale - adjective - revealing, indicating, or betraying something. 

About how many text messages do you send and/or receive daily? I am guessing you don't count them. Neither do I. I'm probably afraid to as I am the type who still appreciates the simplicity of antiquated means of communication despite the fact that they are rarely used. You know, like the long lost art form known as letter writing and talking on a landline phone. If I didn't have a hip, thirty-something daughter, I'd probably still be an analogue "artist." During the pandemic after my flip phone flipped out, she's the one who convinced me to get an iPhone, a device that has definitely changed my life just as it has altered the myriad users of it internationally. Sure it has its advantages, one of which is a glorious camera that I use just about every day. The other is–dare I say it? Texting.

Texting is not what it seems to be. But as you already know, nothing is. What it seems to be is a modern alternative to what we used to do in high school in the 1970s: pass each other messages scratched out in pencil on torn-off looseleaf notebook paper folded in half at least four times for privacy. When the classroom teacher wasn't looking, we would toss the notes that sometimes looked like miniature footballs to each other. It definitely was the forerunner of today's texting, only it was much cheaper and, in some cases, faster because we could write quicker than type and also were forced to relay the communication within seconds before we were caught and given detention for passing notes. Because there was no such creature as spellcheck, we could spell fairly accurately (which few know how to do at present as we don't have to) or use shorthand (specific abbreviations) in order to get our gossip across. The verboten "bad habit" sure made some of our dull classes tolerable. 

Fast-forward to the present: what I find interesting is that texting or telltale texting can be a reflection of the writer's personality. For instance, unselfish people-pleasers tend to worry that they have texted too much or too little. They always respond to texts within seconds of their receipt. On the other hand, those self-centered types whose attentions lie elsewhere (such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, whatever) instead of on you will procrastinate, often forgetting completely to answer a text message. Days or weeks or months might go by, leaving the sender frustrated, wondering what he or she or they texted that could have possibly have affected the receiver negatively enough to ignore it. And then there are the inexplicable, idiosyncratic types who will send a lengthy text, prompting one in return, but then the conversation will end there, leaving unanswered questions. I know of friendships that have dissolved because of unanswered texts, which has come to be known as "ghosting." But is the ghosting intentional or not? Sometimes we never quite know for sure. The tenacious few resend and hope that the message won't go unanswered a second time. Those who feel secure might just move on to text another, more responsible friend, a reliable first text responder for instant gratification.  As for me, I'd like to go back to what we did in high school :). 

With the aforementioned in mind, I can't help but think that more relationships could remain in tact if we gave up texting altogether and just emailed each other. Or we could use the call feature and actually have a conversation or at least leave a message. Maybe the parties queried will return the call? Maybe not. It's a crapshoot because human nature is just so capricious. 

#blog, #PersonalEssay, #texting, #blogging, #Society, #HumanNature