Cell phones have become one of the most common ways to stay connected. It makes it easy to catch up, make plans, and talk throughout the day. Still, there’s growing curiosity about whether this constant digital communication helps or hurts real life connections.
Texting makes it easy to stay in touch, letting people keep up with each other’s lives without having to be in the same place.
“Occasionally I feel like texting is easier because I can still communicate to people whenever I want without needing to be in the same place as them. It makes keeping in touch a lot easier,” Sophomore Katalyna Nieves said.
Texting can make it hard to get the tone right, and sometimes the way we phrase things or the words we choose can come across differently than we actually intended them to.
“Sometimes the way I mean something doesn’t come across right, and things get misunderstood,” Junior Eric Pesina said.
Sending messages has become more common than talking face to face, as people often rely on texts instead of in person conversations, even when they’re nearby.
“I text way more than I talk in person, especially when I’m busy with school or other things,” Junior Andrea Vasquez said.
The convenience of sending a quick message ends up taking over, leading people to choose the easiest option rather than making the effort for a face to face conversation.“Texting is just quicker, so I end up doing it instead of talking in person,” Senior Leslie Hernandez said.
Phones can lead to fewer in person conversations, with people leaning more on texting and calling instead of direct interactions.
“I don’t feel like I have to talk face to face much anymore. Texting feels easier especially when I can't go out and I'm busy,” Nieves said.
Even if texting is easier and sometimes more reliable, it does not compare to how real life interactions and conversations are.
“Texting is good for staying in touch, but it doesn’t compare to talking in person. I don't always want to miss the connections I could get when I am with the person and can hear their voice,” Pesina said.
Certain points of view of communication can get lost when it happens through a screen, with tone, expression and topics being hard to come across.
“Body language and tone don’t translate the same in a text,” Pesina said.
Written by: Renzo Cruz