In the last number of years, among young people in particular, the practice of sending text messages on mobile telephones ("texting") has become an increasingly common form of communication. It has almost come to define day-to-day life, as this musician wisely observes. Yet texting can be extremely dangerous, on both an individual and a societal level. FAKE UP reports on the hidden dangers of texting.
"C u l8r xxx" – Is this incomprehensible gibberish? A secret code used by a clandestine organisation? An equation of some sort? The answer to these questions is, respectively, "sort of", "in a sense" and "not really". In fact, this is a direct quote from the current writer's teenage daughter. She was observed typing this into a text intended for (presumably) a friend. After some research, it was discovered that the quote translates as "See you later xxx" (the meaning of the final letters could not be deciphered). This example showcases the disturbing trend wherein texters develop their own language with which to communicate. This leads to a marked decline in the standard of their written English; compulsive texters have been known to collapse sobbing in exams, having tried repeatedly to turn predictive text on on their pens. It is projected that if this trend continues, the English language will soon consist entirely of consonants, single vowels and acronyms.
In addition to this threat to linguistic skills, texting has notable health risks. There is evidence that signals from mobile telephones can rot brains, in much the same manner as alcohol. Indeed, some scientists have speculated that this phenomenon may not be unrelated to the previously noted decline in language; the theory goes that the rotting of the brain afflicts the language centre first. Rumours persist that the first compulsive texters in the world are now locked in secret Japanese research facilities, having devolved into our ancestors from approximately two million years ago, homo habilis.
The other noted health risk pertains to the actual physical activity of texting. All that activity on the fingers and hands can bear a very heavy toll. After years of regular texting, tendons wear away. Eventually, the hands become useless, and finally drop off, often still holding a mobile telephone. Sadly, by this stage the texter is often so far gone that she or he is more dismayed by the dropping of the telephone than by the self-induced maiming.
Yet, quite besides this threat to health, the practice of texting also has dangers beyond itself. Often when a young person is engaged in regular texting with another young person, this is an early warning sign that the two youths are entering the early stages of a relationship. This is a danger about which FAKE UP has warned time and again in various media, and should be studiously avoided for the sake of one's mental health. Texting is inextricably linked with relationships, from early flirtations to the practice of "sexting", which is far too ghastly to discuss or even contemplate.
One of the most tragic sights in the world is that of a compulsive texter attempting to press buttons on his/her mobile telephone with the stumps on the ends of his/her arms, and roaring incoherently when the attempt fails. This is often exacerbated by the fact that the texter is filled with the depression that inevitably accompanies relationships. Texting is, in short, an extremely dangerous occupation, hazardous to one's physical, intellectual and psychological well-being. If one really must communicate with one's friends, why not send a nice letter? It can be sealed with a wax seal, possibly incorporating a coat of arms, which text messages most certainly cannot. Perhaps if we all take up the practice of letter-writing, the future of our young people can be saved. Remember, FAKE UP is there for you*!
*FAKE UP and its associates are not responsible for any occasions on which it may not be there for you.
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