Recently, the state of North Carolina just passed a law that bans all drivers and motorists from sending text messages on their cell phones while driving. Ironically, I just received a Blackberry phone from my mother as a gift and had been spending some time trying to figure out all of the features as well as how it works. Admittedly, I will be the first one to admit that I am guilty of sending a few text messages on it in the short time that I ve had it (only a few weeks). A few times when I was sending text messages, I noticed almost immediately how dangerous this could be. There I am, trying to find the letter “R” so I can complete my first sentence to someone, and in the meantime, My car is veering off to the side of the road. I quickly regained control and put the cell phone down. Luckily for me, this was at a time of day when there were very few cars out on the road.
Text messaging is a really neat idea. At first I thought text messaging or “texting” as it is sometimes referred to, was annoying. I couldn t grasp the idea of how it was better to send someone a text message versus simply emailing them or speaking to them on the phone. However, I have come to appreciate text messaging for what it is: an informal, non commital way of communicating with other people. When you are sending someone a text message, you don t have to worry about the emotional factor as much. You can start and stop the conversation whenever you feel like it. You don t have to deal with awkward goodbyes or think about what the other person s facial expressions look like. It is very cut and dry.
Text messaging is one of those things that people either love or hate. For example, most college professors hate text messaging where their students are involved. I ll never forget the time I was in college as an undergraduate and I watched as a girl from the women s basketball team sat in class and received text messages from someone else in the class so that she could get the answers to a make up quiz that she was taking! Driving is distracting enough without throwing text messaging into the mix. Now, don t get me wrong I have seen some people who are text messaging professionals...Their fingers move as if they are dancing on the cell phone buttons. It s quite breathtaking to watch. But the majority of people who text message aren t this skilled. For most of us, text messaging is laborious. Between the time spent trying to find the right letter or symbol, I could have made five phone calls to friends or sent out a dozen emails! Still, the text messaging phenomena continues to spread.
What I find baffling about the text messaging ban in North Carolina is that they would ban texting while driving, but they won t ban talking on your cell phone, which I find bizarre. After all, you would think that one would come before the other, right?
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