Text vs. Voice

[freeztar]

I saw a funny skit last week where three high school students were sitting at a table vigorously texting. One girl looked up at the girl sitting next to her and said "I totlly agree". It gave me a chuckle. It was good comedy because it hyped the truth.

Texting is the "new" thing.
Why call someone when you can get your message across quicker and more on-point with a tweet?

Have we sacrificed handshakes for digital text?

What are the implications for our language processing and how have we been so efficient at adapting to this new paradigm? I know written language has been around for a long time, but the words you are reading now represent an historic shift, the digital era.

Psycholinguistics is a "new science", relatively speaking. There's much to be said, or speculated, on this subject.

[pamela]

well it certainly cannot replace the spoken word or sign.Just now as an experiment, i texted my son "i love you".
Response- "ok"
now i spoke the words to him and i got both a smile and a hug as well as the words. The typed word, especially those that are abbreviated, lack the emotional intent, that the spoken word or action can effectively display

[Larv]

freeztar, remember the CB radio craze? Even Nancy Reagan had her own CB identity name, (something like "Big Momma"). Texting is about the same thing, only digital, as you astutely point out. But texting won't replace the cell phone because we like to hear each other's voices. Besides, texting is mostly for the young, who are naturally faddish. Adults with any age on them will not care to bother texting each other all the time. Too annoying.

[freeztar]

Originally Posted by pamela

well it certainly cannot replace the spoken word or sign.Just now as an experiment, i texted my son "i love you".
Response- "ok"
now i spoke the words to him and i got both a smile and a hug as well as the words. The typed word, especially those that are abbreviated, lack the emotional intent, that the spoken word or action can effectively display

Isn't that what smilies are for?

I agree, it's apples and oranges.

But, with the increase of AI tech and advances in Neuroscience and Psychology, the line may start to shift, or fade.

Or, in a dystopian sense, we may lose our humanity...obligated to menial messages.

[pamela]

Originally Posted by freeztar

Isn't that what smilies are for?

trust me, my wink in person carries a whole lot more impact than this