Parents Learning to Text to Talk to their Teens

Is  your teen listening?

If you aren't texting in today's culture, you may not be talking!


Many parents are experiencing that texting is the best way to communicate with their teens.  Although many prefer talking, many more parents have finally given into texting to their kids.  Even in their own home - room to room!


What has happened to communication, discussions, and heart to heart conversations - face to face?
Texting happened.  Technology happened, and here we are today.

Here are 10 reasons why Lindsay Willison chooses to talk to her friends rather than texting:

1. Texting cost extra on my mobile phone plan.
2. I have better things to do than to work my fingers on a key pad smaller than the palm of my hand.
3. I’d rather hear my friend’s voice.
4. I can talk with them on my way somewhere, even in the car with the hands free voice equipment.
5. I hate to read abbreviated English language – and writing it would really go against my grain.  Example, ur, u, i, lol, etc.
6. Though it is a growing tradition, I find it a lazy way of communicating with friends.  A fast sentence here and there hardly makes for a conversation, much less communication.
7. When there was just the land line, I remember talking with my sisters in another state for hours at a time.  We don’t do that anymore since we have e-mail and face book.  I don’t get into texting with them.
8. Calling versus texting is a vital part of any relationship.  Knowing I’ve picked up the phone, sat down and taken time out of my day to call means much to a good friend.
9. A text has no tone to judge how a statement is to be taken.  The written word can be misunderstood. On the phone one can hear the persons voice, interpret their reactions based on what how they respond with a laugh, a sigh or even silence.
10. If I initiate the call, I can vocalize my greetings, my concerns, my best regards – give my friend a chance to respond and then I can hang up and go on my way.  The call may last a few minutes, and again it may last much longer.

As a last resort (if I had the texting feature on my phone) I may text my spouse to “bring home some milk and bread”, other than that I’ll stick with a phone call.

Source:  Landline Phone Service

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