Text Messaging and America
“Merry Christmas” may not be the most original greeting in the world, Neil Papworth admits
today, but as he was about to send the world’s first text message to a cell phone, it struck him as
fittingly festive, certainly more so than “Mr. Watson, come here,” the first words spoken over the
telephone. (15 years of text messages, Victoria Shannon. Wednesday, Dec. 5th, 2007. New York Times).
Text messaging has become a national phenomena in recent years. With a lot of focus being on text
messaging taking over and people texting and driving, and the ill affects of texting and driving. This
essay will discuss the affects text messaging has had on everyday americas life!!
“It is a cultural phenomenon,” said Mike Short, chairman of the Mobile Data Association in
England, where the number of text messages sent each week just passed one billion, about 25 percent
higher than a year earlier. The cell phone phenomenon seems to be the most popular among young
adults and teenagers. Every where you look there is always people driving along talking or texting on
their cell phones. The amount of traffic accidents caused by people using their phones is outrageous
and many states have put laws into place prohibiting the use of cell phones while driving.
A press release announced the results of a poll today conducted by Harris Interactive and Pinger
mobile messaging service. The poll revealsthat 9 out of 10 Americans believe that 91% of American
adults believe thatthose who text message while driving are as dangerous as those who have had a
couple alcoholic drinks. Interestingly, the overwhelming majority of people believe text messaging to
be dangerous from behind the wheel. Even so, 66% of adults surveyed who use text messaging and
who use text messaging and who drive a car stated that they read text messages or e-mails from a
mobile device while driving. Men and women sent text messages while driving in equal rates.
However, 64% of those who said they send text messages while driving were between the ages of 18
and 34. Only 6% of driving texters were 55 or older. (Should Text Messaging While Driving Be
Illegal? August 7, 2007, Jason Webb)
