THE CELL

Call me Mrs. Cleaver, but I still don’t think it’s acceptable for girls to call guys. But now, technology has created several different options for contacting someone from a cell phone without actually calling. Maybe this is just me, but I find a lot less wrong with text messaging a guy than calling him. Besides making it easier to justify breaking the rules, text messaging and other cell phone features such as AOL Instant Messenger have affected courtship. When you’re at the bar or somewhere else loud, it’s hard to hear the person on the other line which often leads to fights and the annoying situation of having to go outside to talk. Text messaging helps people avoid such situations and in turn could positively affect relationships.

On the other hand, all these new features can simply be invasive and annoying. You’ve all seen her, the girl at the bar text messaging the entire time she’s there. What’s the point in coming? Her boyfriend obviously doesn’t realize how annoying he’s being, if she wanted to talk to him the entire time she wouldn’t have gone to the bar without him. I wish I could say I have never been that girl, nor have I gotten out of the horrible habit of having my phone out at the bar, but it makes me sad to watch those girls.

Another change these features have made is they make communication less personal. It’s hard to tell someone’s tone through a text message. This often leads to the failed detection of sarcasm and miscommunications. For the most part, I think the fact that text messaging isn’t like having an in person conversation is a great option. It’s much easier to think about what you say before you say it in a text message and to strategically get your way through communication. Granted, the person on the other end has this same advantage but I think this makes for better conversation.

The biggest advantage I think this technology has made in courtship is how easy it is to make your significant other happy with a simple and quick sweet text message.