I mean, literally, "texting" is not an option on my phone. Apparently, I have missed out on many a party invitation over the past four years because I didn't receive the "come 2 murph's" message.,”
I don't get text messaging.
I mean, literally, "texting" is not an option on my phone. Apparently, I have missed out on many a party invitation over the past four years because I didn't receive the "come 2 murph's" message.
But also, I don't get text messaging. I have seen friends text back and forth with messages like "what R U up 2?" and "do U want 2 do something?" for upwards of an hour. What takes 60 seconds to say in an actual phone – or, heaven forbid, face-to-face – conversation takes 60 minutes in texting time.
I also don't understand why people text one another the word "hi." That just cost you 10 cents.
Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but if I want to see my friends, I'm going to call them. Not text them. Or send mind waves. Or write it on their Facebook wall.
Judging from experience, though, it seems I'm the only under-22 texting virgin in Milwaukee. I've seen people text messaging during the movies, during dinner and most annoyingly, during class. According to the mobile applications company CellSigns, text messaging is an option on more than 97 percent of cell phones.
At Marquette, we seem to be lucky enough that the worst effect of having cell phones in school is the irritating "bing bong" sound that occurs when someone receives a text. Elsewhere, cell texts and phone calls are being blamed for far graver crimes.
On Jan. 8, a fight at a Milwaukee high school grew dangerous when outsiders were contacted via cell phone and joined in. Milwaukee Public Schools announced Jan. 17 that cell phones would now be banned from schools.
Doubts about the ban's practicality immediately surfaced. Parents complained that they wanted their children to have phones in case of emergencies. Teachers and students alike pointed out that the ban would be impossible to enforce.
Even if MPS is able to effectively keep cell phones out of schools through some sort of airport-style screening system, the ban isn't going to curb school violence. If students want to cause trouble, they will find a way to do it, and they don't need to call people to the scene to do so.
Although the Jan. 8 fight may have escalated when outsiders arrived, it was still the students who initiated things.
Trying to curb school violence by banning cell phones is like trying to heal a deep gash by covering it with a Band-Aid; it might make things look better for a while, but it ultimately fails to address the real problem.
Like I said, I'm fortunate enough that the only real problem I have encountered with cell phones is the awful sound they make when people send "C U L8R" texts during class. But whether the problems are minor "bing bong" noises or serious fights like at MPS, the blame does not belong on our phones.
Not having a cell phone won't stop high schoolers from fighting at school. Not having text messaging won't keep someone from spacing out during class.
It'll just make them miss out on parties.
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