Most people these days far prefer to text than call someone. Picking up a phone call is such a chore. And, when the call had not been agreed to beforehand it’s an even more agregious act and chore. Nowadays, people just want to send 200 characters and feel that they have communicated.

Texting has it’s privileges. It does allow one to communicate quietly in a stuffy, boring meeting. It also allows one to be completely unfocused and probably forget the previous twenty to thirty minutes of interaction (of any form). Texting continously gives you freedom to be in a black box state of mind. Somewhere in there is some kernel of possibly useful information that will need probing and more time wasted in trying to catch up.

Ok. I sound like I don’t like texting and prefer to communicate verbally. That’s not the case at all. I’m happy texting was invented and is so ingrained in life. However, I do recognize it can lead to quite ridiculous, disconnected daily interactions.

I have a couple of friends who will randomly text to say hello and check in on me. Then, when I respond I receive no response for hours. At times, no response at all. I suppose that it was nice they were thinking of me for a split second or two even if they went on to immediately forget me. Who texts a hello and then walks away? I suppose it could be the sane as waving hello to someone down the hallway and then just walking the other direction. No. I take it back. I don’t get it. Why say hello to just ghost someone? And, sadly I don’t get to hang up on them.