Text messaging has made our lives simpler and millions of people around the world would agree as we say this. In fact, even when Matti Makkonen invented SMS messaging 20 years ago, he envisioned that it would be a boon and never a bane.
But doesn’t every good thing come with its own set of problems, if it is not used for the purpose it was originally intended for. So is the case with SMSs which has also been widely criticised in matters relating to safety issues as well as communication skills.
For instance, a lot of cyber bullying cases which were initially limited to only the internet, now involves the usage of text messages. Language experts have also come out against the use of SMS abbreviations which they worry will reduce the ability of the user to write proper, complete sentences in English.
Another major issue is texting while driving. This is a cause for major concern especially among parents of teenagers who feel that their kids are addicted to SMS texting. One such parent, Kishore Shetty says, “The meaning of personal interaction has transformed by leaps and bounds. Unfortunately, this change is not for the good. It is scary to see youngsters driving and messaging at the same time. And scarier is the fact that they think they can multi-task.”
However, there are some who feel that SMS texting is a true blessing. Professor Mark Austin who teaches multimedia studies at a city based college says, “Some language ‘purists’ execrate the language that has been created through text messaging, which defies rules of spelling and grammar for the sake of brevity. But they miss the point; language is organic and is constantly evolving. The fact that billions of people are writing electronically to one another every day is a wonderful thing.”
On the other hand, some users are sick of receiving spam messages. Susmita Das, 25, media professional, said, It’s such a nuisance when you receive unwanted messages. It can spoil your peace of mind. I once lodged a police complaint when I received some vulgar messages, but no action was taken against the person,” she signs off angrily.