The joys of modern technology

Why I send dozens of sometimes-useless text messages a day

SOMEWHERE OUT THERE, they’re laughing, pointing and waiting.

Laughing because they now feel superior. Pointing because in that way, they can feel bigger. Waiting because they are waiting for the right moment to say, “I told you so.”

They know I’m wrong and they know they’re right.

Back in 2000, my parents bought a home computer and decided to have it in my room. Friends and relatives — including my envious and annoying little sister — said this good child would soon get hooked onto the Internet, as if I would drop my backpack near my bedroom door right after school and at once gravitate toward the glowing screen until the next day’s daylight started to seep through my blinds.

They were so right.

And they were right about something else: text messaging.

This is a form of communication that allows anyone with a cell phone to correspond with others by entering words on a keypad. And since its popularity took off about five years ago, text messaging has run rampant in our lives — especially mine.

According to Wikipedia, by mid-2004 texts were being sent at a rate of 500 billion messages a year. I’m almost certain I made up about 18 percent of that number.

When I learned of text messaging about three years ago, I thought it was a stupid idea. It’s the most backward thing anyone can do, especially when you consider that cell phones were created to move our lives forward.

But man, was I so wrong.

Text messaging is one of the most difficult, brilliant and time-consuming things anyone can do. That’s why you can find me doing this about 15 times a day. That amounts to more than 100 times a week, more then 400 times a month and more than 5,000 times a year. That’s a lot.

And that’s not to say the things I text are of great importance:

“is it possible 2 fall in luv 50 times in one day?”

“no, im hurt. u really know how 2 shoot down dreams, huh?”

“new crush: claire danes. big time!”

“sorry. my gatorade bottle called u.”

“dude! shes only 16!”

Well, except for the last one (But that’s for another column).

Every time I send a text, it pains me.

Then again, I think about the good it has done. It allows people to break up with someone without facing him or her. It allows people to keep themselves entertained during class.

It allows people to inform school officials that the substitute teacher is smoking pot with his or her high school classmates. It allows people to send sweet sentiments to their loved ones at any given moment.

It’s easy to tell that I’m a big fan.

But I do not like friends who text me when he or she should call. There are two reasons why:
1. A phone call says, “I want to talk to you, even if it’s for a minute.” A text message says, “I rather spend double the time to text you because I can.”

2. If you don’t have a text-message service, then you’re screwed. Every text received is 2 cents added to your bill, and every text sent will cost you 10 cents. That’s insane. And that’s why I succumbed, coughing up an extra $5 a month to text my people as many times as I want.

I love text messaging. It’s a passion of mine, no matter what you say. Go ahead: Say it. “I told you so.” No. Wait. Text it instead.

Editor’s Note: Read Chhun’s farewell column in The Collegian’s Wednesday issue. In the meantime, go to his blog at http://blog.myspace.com/chhunwrites.

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