We are constantly bombarded by commercials for cell phones that offer nearly free and unlimited texting. Many commercials show kids and young adults busy punching the keys on their phones to communicate.....I can remember when you used a phone to just talk to someone....I guess I'm just getting obsolete. :)
What exactly are those kids in the commercials doing anyway... They are "texting" their friends, family, etc. To understand what texting is, you need to first know that texting is a new language in and of itself and our kids are fluent in this language.
Texting simply is a method to communicate where common phrases and words are replaced with a ever complex and growing list of acronyms and abbreviations. Now that I have you COMPLETELY lost, here's an example:
Instead of writing something like "That was funny," the text language might be LOL (short for Laughing Out Loud). Another common one is IMHO or "In My Humble Opinion."
Generally, this developed as a way to send a quick note and now is a robust language that most kids and young adults are VERY adept at using. To see some of the common phrases in texting, visit:
Webopedia
Texting Quick Reference Guide
As a side note, in texting:
POS means Parents Over Shoulder
P911 means Parents Coming into Room alert
PAW means Parents Are Watching
Regardless of its use, texting is here to stay for now. It's a good idea to become familiar with it and gain a basic understanding of some of the language.
James
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