The Texters' Dilemma

I know that we live in a more tribal culture these days—sharing small, day-to-day details about our lives, via FaceBook, MySpace, Tweeter, texts, blogs, and so on. On some levels, I think it brings about a sense of connectedness that we wouldn’t otherwise have.

And there’s convenience. I thoroughly appreciate that I have the ability to text family members with quick messages. I don’t really need a whole phone conversation to say, “Don’t forget to take out the trash.”

This being said, there are some things that shouldn’t be shared via text. Sometimes it’s a case of just too much information. Sometimes, it’s a case of technology’s inability to replace a warranted face-to-face conversation. Below are some real life examples culled from my own experiences, and those of friends.

Things That Should Not Be Texted:

“No baby yet… just got an epidural.”

“I’m in the airport bathroom taking a dump. Gonna go now, it stinks in here.”

“My pants are wet. You know, THAT kinda wet. Gotta go.”

“It’s not you… it’s me… this just isn’t working out.”

“Will you marry me?”

“I’m with XXX in his car. I’ll call you when I get my pants back on.”