Too much texting...

The official world record for the number of cell phone text messages sent in one month is 19,678, sent by Andrew Acklin of North Olmstead, Ohio.

(I wonder if, upon receiving the phone bill, his father said "OMG WTF"?)

So much text messaging takes place that medical journals now refer to a specific type of repetitive stress injury as "Blackberry thumb syndrome."

A whole class of recognized mental disorders have evolved for texters denied their thumb-toys, including depression and feelings of withdrawal. A related syndrome is a constant need to upgrade equipment to allow faster texting.

Australians, as a people, hold the record for the greatest use of texting, with an average of 30 minutes per day per Aussie.

In English, the widespread use of texting is rapidly deteriorating the langauge as a whole, especially in the areas of spelling and punctuation. So much so that a significant percentage of recent college graduates found themselves unable to appropriately fill out conventional job applications.

(Their Moms and Dads must be so proud! And I'm sure they joyfully welcomed their unemployed asses back home!)

In medicine, several doctors have been sucessfully sued because their use of texting abbreviations led to the wrong medications and treatments being given to patients.

Texting world wide is leading to the deterioration of several languages beyond the obvious shorthand uses, especially those that incorporate diacritical marks. This "Americanization" of these languages is producing significant international and sociological repercussions.

So, in conclusion, us non-texting Old Farts (myself included) are wrong! The world is not going to Hell in a handbasket. It is going to Hell on a Blackberry! OMG! LOL!

You can blame us Canadians. RIM (makers of the Blackberry) are based in Kitchener, Ontario - 45 minutes from where I live .

Nineteen thousand messages. That's two per minute, 60 minutes per hour, 24 hours a day. Good lord.

jgrussell wrote in post #7410667
Nineteen thousand messages. That's two per minute, 60 minutes per hour, 24 hours a day. Good lord.

Its actually about one every two minutes (round the clock), but still...

60 min/hr * 24hr = 1440 minutes / day

1440 * 30 days (average) = 43200 minutes per month

Assuming eight hours off (sleeping, eating, potty, etc) it works out to just over a minute between messages.

Yep -- I am 40 and when I want to talk I pick up the phone. I was a crackberry addict now with iPhone I find a lot of people want to text-- I would rather email but that is my age.
My son has over 2K text messages for the month-- so his phone no longer has texting--- he was addicted in my opinion.
I say this as a communicate to people I do not know through technology that did not exist a few years ago..........we are going to hell in a hand basket. LOL ...... brb

mbellot wrote in post #7410816
Assuming eight hours off (sleeping, eating, potty, etc) it works out to just over a minute between messages.

You're right (I have a t-shirt that reads: "I'm an English major. YOU do the math!"). But it's still too many.

I wouldn't say I'm addicted, but I much prefer to text someone than call them. My cell plan includes unlimited texting, but I don't really use all that much. And I never use "text speak". My phone has a QWERTY keyboard, so I spell the words out.

jgrussell wrote in post #7410992
"I'm an English major. YOU do the math!"

I'm an engineer, so I do DO the math.

:p

mbellot wrote in post #7412469
I'm an engineer, so I do DO the math.:p

I'm glad somebody does, and it's surely better for the world that it not be me!

My cell phone plan is unlimited, I have free texts anywhere in Canada.

I prefer to send texts, as long distance is costly ..and this way I can keep in touch with people I know travelling on a noisy bus in calgary, or at a rock concert in toronto.

I can text people from out of town when shooting auroras, sometimes the service goes out as far as 30 miles outside of town limits. If I were to call then it'd be crackly...but I can send a clear and concise message of where I am, how long I'll be and if there's a problem it'll be instantly (relatively) sent to whoever my receiver is.

I think there should be satellite texting, like there is satellite phones

I love texting.

It is a shame how we have lost so much for the sake of "convenient" gadgets.
Where I am the iphone is the current hot item.
No thanks.

PhoenixPhotography wrote in post #7413002
Where I am the iphone is the current hot item.
No thanks.

Indeed. The Lcoholics have nothing on Steve Jobs' drooling gang of iCoholics.

FYI, my name is Andrew Acklin and I am the world text holder. (Im not an imposstor, trust me.) the record is no longer 19,678, it is now 25,056 =]

have a good day !

thomascanty wrote in post #7411045
I wouldn't say I'm addicted, but I much prefer to text someone than call them. My cell plan includes unlimited texting, but I don't really use all that much. And I never use "text speak". My phone has a QWERTY keyboard, so I spell the words out.

Same here. That information is pretty freaky though.