21st+century+project


 * 8.SE.1.1 Analyze ethical behavior (copyright, not plagiarizing, netiquette) when using resources. || 8.SE.1.1 ||

Gastineau 1 Molly Gastineau Mrs.Respers Core 3 January 9,2012
 * 8.SE.1.2 Analyze safety precautions when using online resources (personal information, passwords, etc.). || 8.SE.1.2 ||

**Texting**

Text messaging was popularized by the advent of cellular phone technology. "Texting", as the term came to be known is the act of sending a text message, or several text messages. Texting is popular with many people, especially teenagers and pre-teens with cell phones. It is a means of communication that allows the user to have a conversation without actually speaking on the phone. It is quick, efficient and private, however, while texting is a useful form of communication, and has it's place, it does have certain dangers and pitfalls associated with it.

The statistics of texting have gone up year after year. Texting while driving has caused thousands of deaths, and because of that, texting while driving has been banned in 35 states. Many people still text while they drive,

ignoring the law and risking their lives. A large percent of people say they know texting while driving is dangerous but still do it anyway. About 6,000 deaths and a half a million injuries are caused by distracted drivers every year. Most texting while driving accidents are caused by teens. Most teens that are texting while driving spend about 10 percent of the time outside the driving lane they are supposed to be in. In comparisson, 1 in 5 drivers

said that they have styled or combed their hair while driving, 14% of people put make up on while driving and 13% have surfed the internet while driving. For every one moment of distracted driving, 2 lives are devastated.

Texting has jumped to the top of the list for driving distractions in recent years.

About 8 trillion text messages were sent in 2011. The amount being sent changes every half a second. Not only are people able to text on there cell phones, many of them can also access the internet anywhere at

any time as long as they have a proper signal. With the advent of wireless internet, the mobile application was born, allowing people to do just about anything from there cell phone. The "app" has become very popular,

allowing people to post to the internet, check their bank account, buy a pizza or play any number of video games, right in the palm of their hand. Almost 300,000 mobile applications, "apps" for short, have been developed in 3

years. 1 in 4 U.S. adults now use mobile apps. 82% of adults use cell phones today. 43% of those users have "apps" on their phones. Half a billion people accessed mobile internet in 2008.

One of the pitfalls or dangers associated with texting too much is a physical ailment called Carpal Tunnel syndrome. Carpal Tunnel syndrome is when your "median nerve" is compressed or pinched inside your wrist.

Some symptoms of having Carpal Tunnel syndrome are numbness and parethesia, which is a burning sensation in a specific area. Your hand may feel like it is falling asleep. You may have discomfort while sleeping because

most people tend to bend their wrists in their sleep. You might start to drop things uncontrollably because of weak muscles. You can prevent it by using a wrist brace or a splint. You can also take medication such as, Tylenol

and Ibuprofen. There is also a surgery available which consists of the Carpal Ligament being cut which will prevent further nerve damage and relieve pain. Using surgery may leave your hand permanently numb and there is no

guarantee to the results of surgery.

The history of text messaging is older than you may think and is credited to a German man who is not very well know for his contribution to modern communication. Born in Warstein, Germany, in 1940, Freidhelm

Hillebrand was a keen amateur radio enthusiast. He eventually became an engineer and a technician. Mr. Hillebrand is responsible for what we know today as text messaging in 1985. He is known as the "Father of the Text

Message". He helped settle on the 160 character limit for each text sent

There are many texting abbreviations, such as, Gtg (got to go), Lol (Laughing/laugh out loud), Rofl (Rolling on floor laughing), Btw (by the way), Sup ( Whats up), Fyi (For your information), ASAP (As soon as possible),

Bf (Boyfriend), Cos ( Because), Gf (girlfriend). Those are just few of the thousands of abbreviations that people have developed to make texting quicker, more efficient and allow them to use their 160 character limit to its

capacity without actually typing out the words long hand. Some people find abbreviations confusing and in some cases, could cause embarrassment for the sender or receiver of the text message. Texting shorthand can cause

many disruptions and texting, in general, could possibly cause someone to be fired from a job. Texting shorthand also has some advantages like, if you try and call someone and they don't answer, you could send them a

short text. Texting someone is also faster than calling someone, you just send what you want and they answer back.

Texting has also become a sport of sorts. People compete to see who can text the fastest or the most in a specific period of time. The record held for sending the most text messages in a single month was held by a

grown Indian man named Deepak Sharma. Deepak Sharma sent 182,689 messages in one month. If you calculate the numbers correctly that is 6,100 messages a day, or 4.2 messages sent in one minute. Sharma now sends

or receives a text every 15 seconds.

In closing, texting may be here to stay in one form or another. Phones will only get more fancy and technology is bound to get more and more complicated, allowing people to do even more with the cellular or wireless

devices. Teenagers will most likely, text a lot, some people, even though against the law, will text while driving and others will not be able to survive without their electronic devices, much less their cell phones. Texting has

changed society in some ways for the better and in some ways for the worse. It is up to the individual person to make good decisions about everything, texting included.