By Richard Ling
From the Pew Research Center, this article discusses the implications of teens and the ever-increasing time they spend texting as a main form of their social interaction.
"Teens appear to actually have more access and more informal, casual contact because of texting. This is because texting is woven into the flow of other activities. In essence their friends are always there and always available for a texting "chat." This interpretation follows from the material on texting in class, texting at night, and in a variety of other situations. Rather than becoming monks sitting in their cells, the material may actually point in the direction of more social interaction, not less."
I find his interpretation holds merit, but also feel that he is missing the greater issue. While teens are communicating more frequently due to texting, it seems as if their value for face-to-face interaction has steadily decreased. When sending a text message to another person, there is no real emphasis on personal mannerisms or non-verbal physical behaviors; which have the potential to weigh heavily on certain real-world interactions, like for example, a job interview.
As our culture continues to propagate communication in the digital form, the values we place on our face-to-face interactions will likely decrease as a natural reaction.
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