So how much do you text?Follow

I don't.

We got rid of the cell phone I kept around in case I should get stranded somewhere or have an accident about a year ago, because cell phones are so ubiquitous that I am sure even if I don't have one, someone else in the vicinity will, and the chances that I'll end up somewhere where there is NO access to a phone of any sort is so remote that the "in case of emergency" justification for the $30/month just didn't hold water.

I don't like talking on the phone much to begin with so I never used the cell phone except in rare situations, and the idea of receiving text messages on the phone is enough to make me scream. Forget the obnoxiousness of the abbreviations used in text messages (which in itself is enough to make my eyeballs bleed) someone being able to repeatedly intrude on my attention like that would make me nuts. I don't have a IM client on my computer for the same reason. I'll take phone calls and have a meaningful real-time conversation that is actually over when it's over, or I'll answer emails at my leisure, and that's it.

I struggle enough with ADD to begin with, constant interruptions from IMs or text messages would make my life pretty well non-functional.

Edited, Jan 14th 2009 7:34am by Ambrya

This.

See, this is where my Old Man-ness says "What, you think I was never 14? I fucking figured it out without a cell phone and never had to spend a night in the mall because I couldn't get home. Now go mow the lawn."

Edited, Jan 14th 2009 9:37am by Jophiel

One of the problems with the dramatic increase in cell phone use is the apparent (at least in my experience and maybe less so in other areas) decrease in the availability of pay phones. They used to be *everywhere* and now it's tricky to even find one.

Nexa

Man, for people that spend hours every day sending and receiving information at the speed of light on a magic picture box, some of you sure are curmudgeonly about new technology.

Ironic, huh?

I nabbed an old radio from my mom's basement from 1937. Once I get that baby up and running, we're throwing away the TV.

Edited, Jan 14th 2009 10:16am by Jophiel

I dont text much durong the week but at weekends I get free texts - and I make the most of them, spamming my friends with all the gossip and dirty jokes I've picked up during the week!

I text a lot. A lot. A LOT. And not just from my phone. I'll text to someone's phone from my email or their cell carrier's website, just depending on convenience. My family keeps in touch more with texts than anything. And it's a record of "See? I TOLD you we were meeting at 8 for the movie! Not 9!" We have unlimited texting on our family plan so it's not an issue.

On average, I probably send and receive about 200 texts a day.

If DF wasn't so busy today, I'm sure she could tell you about the time when her son sent something like 20,000 or more texts one month. QWERTY keyboard is her son's friend apparently.

Edit: My oldest kid has a phone that is part of our cell phone plan. We got him one when he started high school and had to take a bus to the next town. I was worried that he'd miss the bus or something and become stranded. We let him keep his phone when we moved back to San Diego, simply because his social life has become so active, and it's a very easy way to get a hold of him and find out what's going on.

Our middle son has a pre-paid cell phone that we only let him take with him when he goes out with his friends. He can't text with that phone. He's asked for it and we've told him that there's no reason why he should have texting when that phone is for phone calls strictly between him and his parents when he's out with his friends. Besides, he's only in middle school.

Our youngest, of course, doesn't have a cell phone. But she's already asking for one. We've told her no. Of course, she has her own means to pay for a cell phone, but I've told her until that happy day that she's an adult, she needs parental permission to get a cell phone and the answer is no. Unless her modeling/acting gigs kick into high gear, I won't get a cell phone dedicated just for her stuff.

Edited, Jan 14th 2009 9:00am by Thumbelyna

Internet & cable is a generalized household expense. Although we went without any cable/satellite until Flea moved in and demanded it. Recreational trips are a case-by-case basis; most parents don't give their kids $50 in Cinemark gift certificates each month.

Why couldn't a phone plan be a household expense? You count your landline as that, I'm sure.


And I still think you people are overestimating the cost. Think: a family plan, divided 3-ways. They allow you to set restrictions on the kid's phone, like no texting, or how many minutes they are allotted. And calls amongst your family are free.

Or, pre-paid minutes. You can pay for as little as $10 for 30 minutes @ T-mobile. Tell your kid to make those 30 minutes last the whole month.

The other thing that I've told my kids, since they have access to the internet is to use instant messaging on their computers. My oldest keeps up his Messenger while he's doing homework so he and his friends can ping each other if they've got questions.

/pretending I'm talking to someone other than Joph
You can always abandon your landline.

Just as soon as we plug this in...



Really, I don't see what the harm is in expecting the kid to wait until they're 16 and working to have their own phone. Once he can buy his own prepaid minutes, he can go crazy with it. If the kid wants to slave over a fry vat for 30 hours a week and blow his paycheck on gluing his face to a phone, God bless 'im. Hell, let him find odd jobs or mow lawns or whatever for spare cash prior to 16 if it's that important to him.