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Nicholas Ashley

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Debate: The effects of texting on the next generation.

By excluding our earliest communication channels such as sound and visual cues (non-verbals), are we not creating a species unequipped for interpersonal communication?

Furthermore, producing a byproduct of negative dependency for avoidance, and ultimately alienation?

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Topics: society technology
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Closing Statement from Nicholas Ashley

I would like to extend my earnest gratitude on the thoughts of all who participated, your insight has been valuable and as a whole might be included in a project/paper I am working on for school; I thank you all.
Interesting points made by all, as thought provoking directions guided the discussion into areas I had not thought of yet; some I had. I found it interesting that some din not feel texting affects our ability to interpersonally communicate and that we needn’t be concerned; even chalked it up to similar hysteria resembling past generations. Others found an effect possible, perhaps warranting further exploration. I would have to agree with concerns written language and texting is having a negative effect on the ability to cohesively formulate a properly constructed sentence (academic criteria), I see evidence of this all over campus; though research shows otherwise. Interesting point, people are born with the ability to communicate non-verbally (NV) but most do not control nonverbal cues. However, NV’s are so important to communication thus replaced with symbols during texting in order to exchange feelings normally visualized through body language. Also, Social Anxiety Disorder caused by texting (lack of) effecting drug usage; interesting possibility. Likewise inference, we do not create our own world, therefore we are not in control of our forms of communication; curious. For the record, I agree we would be wise NOT to text and drive!
Once again I would like to express a warm thank you for your time and thoughts and I hope I covered the essence of our discussion in my closing statement

Ciao / Nicholas

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  • Tyler Hill

    • +1
    Oct 22 2012: I feel as though future generations are going to become more dependent upon technological communication to uphold their impersonal and, even worse, personal relationships. Specifically though "texting" will be the driving force behind my hypothesis. I used to work for a church in the youth ministry. One thing that I noticed is that kids are being allowed to have cell phones at progressively younger ages. Thus creating a sense of need upon this telecommunication device. I'll admit there certainly are advantages to having a cell phone. However, when this device becomes the main source of an adolescent's ability to communicate, that's where my negative view of "texting" comes into play. Simply put, "texting" not only limits, but hinders, the sincerity one can have when communicating. For example, while working at the church I was always having students (7th-12th grade) come up to me and want to talk, sometimes serious but mostly casual. Regardless of the subject of the conversation my ability to help/communicate with the student coincided with the fact that we were having said conversation in person, not via "texting."

    Looking at the next generation, I do not only see lack of ability to participate in interpersonal communication as an effect of "texting", but also the possibility of social ineptness. "Texting" gives the user the ability to hide behind technology and not convey any sort of honest emotion. The user does not have to actually speak WITH another human, but rather can just speak TO another human.

    Worst-case scenario, "texting" will be the imminent downfall of the interpersonal future.

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