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An escape route in your palm
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More and more youngsters are using the SMS to wriggle out of edgy situations, rather than call or face friends upfront, writes AYESHA MATTHAN
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SHORT ‘N’ SWEET Sending an SMS is a smart way of keeping in touch or avoiding people
Im vry sry bt i wil b 30 mn lte. c u sn. ths trffc i tel u!” A college student texts her friend whom she is going to meet and lets her know that she is going to be half an hour late because she is stuck in traffic. A recent Associated Press-AOL poll that was released said “more than four in 10, or 43 per cent of teens in the U.S. who instant message, use it for things they wouldn’t say in person.”
So does that sound like something all too familiar? Sending an SMS has become the dominating function of cell phones over phone calls for school and college students.
Done thing
It’s fast, simple and saves them the hassle of hearing an obvious retort or a knowing sigh. But with the urban and privileged younger generation who’ve practically grown up with cell phones, a text message is not really an ‘indirect’ way of communication but is the done thing.
For a population that uses SMS on a large scale – whether it is to send random thoughts and musings all night long, or to inform a friend that he/she will be late or won’t turn up at all — it is not an ‘escapist’ communicator.
Shwetha Bidap, a bank employee, says, “I prefer to call up as it is more mature and has a personal touch, if I am in an uncomfortable situation. For if I call, then there are no hard feelings and puts things at ease.” She feels that it also depends on how well you know the person which will determine whether you SMS or call. “But if I am in a meeting or in a position where I can’t call, then I have no option but to send an SMS,” she adds.
Class 11 student Sumanto Mondal feels his generation prefers to use SMS more, as it is cheaper. “Sending an SMS if you’re late or not coming at all is more than enough.” Third year college student Abhimanyu Ghoshal says, “I try calling when I can.” But he feels it depends who you’re sending an SMS to. “My folks wouldn’t be comfortable with the idea of receiving an SMS instead of a phone call if I am late home.”
Easy way out
He does feel that sending an SMS “avoids confrontation and is done for convenience sake”. He adds, “If I am late for a group meeting, it’s definitely easier to text ‘I can’t make it’ than call.”
Psychologist Manika Ghosh says: “Emails and SMSes are virtual tools of communication. Speaking one-to-one on the phone is direct. Communication is a two-way process; an email or SMS does not come under that category. Sending an SMS in awkward situations is the easier way out.” But she also feels that it is because of the limited pocket money that teenagers get which makes them send SMSes.
She continues, “It’s cheap, easy and non-confrontational. It also gives the user a wall to hide behind as you can’t gauge one’s expression.”
Harshita Chandrasekhar, a third-year college student says, “SMS, irrespective of it being cheap or not, is a way for people to get out of situations. But I think that it helps in starting off a topic and taking it to the next level of a phone call.” Sending an instant message is definitely a smooth and clever way to wriggle out of situations – but one has to take many other parameters into consideration.
It’s cheaper (if not free), quicker, accepted and expected among GenX.
A popular way of keeping in touch, avoiding or informing people, it does convey emotions in a new ‘e-language’.
Maybe this sounds better when you text someone that you’re late?: “Srry ya…bt i cnt mk it 4 d prty. mom’s shtng abt my mrks..:(”
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