The Effect of Texting on Interpersonal Relationships

This research paper was written for my interpersonal communications class.  I chose to cite the negative impact that text messaging has had, escpecially on the communications skills of minors.  In the creation of this paper, I discovered the problems that are avoided during face to face communication.  Also, I make the inference that over texting has a negative impact on verbal communication.  This is a conclusion that I stand by firmly.

The Effect of Texting on Interpersonal Relationships

Introduction

Text messaging has had a negative effect on interpersonal communication. People use interpersonal communication all the time, whether consciously or unconsciously. In today’s day and age, the forms of communication have evolved rapidly to include email, chats, facebook, myspace, instant messaging, and text messaging. Text messaging has become the predominant form of long range communication. People use text messaging to arrange meetings, express their feelings, avoid oral communication, and connect with friends.  (Gaither, C. 2006). Text messaging is a fast, easy, convenient, and an easy way to multitask.  (Lee, K.C. & Perry, S.D 2007).  But is text messaging causing a negative impact on our face to face conversations?

According to Adams, et al. (2008) “Text messaging is quickly replacing face-to-face communication.”  Text messaging is used extremely often, especially among college students, because of the ease of its use. (Adams, J. et al. 2008). College students’ have developed a habit of texting in class, in the movie theatre, at the office, in the mall, and even text while driving. (Lee, K.C. & Perry, S.D. 2007)

Competency

Text messaging has had a disastrous impact on the nonverbal competency.  According to Trenholm and Jensen (2008), nonverbal competence is, “the ability to process and use non-verbal codes to convey content in effective ways.” By the very nature of text messaging, nonverbal codes are non existent due to the lack of presence of the receiving party.  There’s no body movement, facial expressions, or vocal characteristics of any kind with which to gauge the conversation from. (Lee, K.C. & Perry, S.D. 2007). 

Text messaging has less of an impact on the verbal competence.  According to Trenholm and Jensen (2008), verbal competence is, “the ability to process and use linguistic devices to convey content in effective ways.”  Text messaging allows the user to get their message across to the receiver by using traditional languages as well as short hand.  An example of short hand would include: using the letter “u” to represent the word “you” or using the letters “LOL” for “laugh out loud.”  A major reason for the need for such acronyms is the lack of voice communication. One needs to get their point across with as much emotion as is succinctly possible in strictly written communication. (Lee, K.C. & Perry, S.D. 2007).  This also ties into relational competence.  Trenholm and Jensen (2008) write that, “Relational competence consists of the ability to process and create messages that convey the type of relationship assumed or desired by a communicator at a given moment.”  Certain words can determine certain relationships and therefore form themes. For example, the phrases since, because, and as a result usually indicate a casual relationship. (Lee, K.C. & Perry, S.D. 2007).  The invention of the short hand has developed a sort of texting language.  Since this development it has become easier to understand the meaning of the messages.  For instance if a message is typed in all capital letters, the intent is generally to show anger or to make a point.  (Lee, K.C. & Perry, S.D. 2007).  This sets up the relationship between the users that there is something they need to read carefully or specifically. On the flip side, the user may start making faces using the colon and parenthesis keys or “:)” to represent happiness.  This represents that all is well in the relationship.  (Lee, K.C. & Perry, S.D. 2007). 

The interpretive competence begins to play a major role in text messaging as well.  Trenholm and Jensen (2008) observe, “Interpretive competence is the ability to label, organize, and interpret the conditions surrounding an interaction.”  During a conversation through text messaging, it is often that one or both of the users doesn’t use the tools of short hand or the text language properly.  The intent of the message is then left to the receiver to interpret.  Complete conversations can have an unintended meaning to an individual due to the lack of vocal tone or context.  (Adams, J. et al. 2008). If a user is not paying attention to the message well enough it is easy to make wrong interpretations.  According to Trenholm and Jensen (2008):

Interpretive competence helps us size up situations and people, name them, identify their outstanding characteristics, and, inevitably, decide upon an attitude toward them.  If we succeed at this, we will make appropriate message choices; if not we will do or say the wrong thing and appear to be personally insensitive and impervious to our surroundings. (P.14)

The next area explored is role competence.  Trenholm and Jensen (2008) observe, “Role Competence is the ability to take on social roles and to know what is appropriate behavior given these roles.”  If a child is carrying on a texting conversation with their parent, they tend to be as polite and easy to understand as possible.  However, text messaging tends to eliminate boundaries in the social world.  In recent years “sexting” has increased ten fold.  The predominant availability of texting phones has given rise to picture texting.  The inhibitions of many have been compromised due to their seeming unaccountability for their actions (Gaither, C. 2006).  Self competence can be a mixed bag.  According to Trenholm and Jensen (2008), “Self Competence is the ability to choose and present a desired image.”  People are now afforded the ability to present whatever image they would like through their words.  (Adams, J. et al. 2008). They are able to think about what they are going to say while writing, whereas during a typical vocal conversation the words are usually said and thought about after the fact.  On the flip side of things, the self presented through the messages may not be a literal representation of the person in a face to face conversation.  Some people are better spoken through writing than they ever would be in a face to face conversation. (Gaither, C. 2006).

 Finally, goal competence is the final competence to be explored.  Trenholm and Jensen (2008) write, “Goal Competence, the ability to set goals, anticipate probable consequences, and choose effective lines of action.”  This ties directly into role and self competence in that different relationships will elicit different goals.  Text messaging allows the user to create any persona they choose.  If a person is trying to attract someone, they can use their words to present an image that will get the attention of their desired companion and, in turn, achieve their goal of becoming closer to them.  Imagination must be used to allow the user to know what their goal is and then use the words needed to achieve that goal. (Gaither, C. 2006).  None of the concepts of the competencies are exclusive and they are all interdependent upon each other.  (Trenholm, S. & Jensen, A. 2008)

 Review of Literature

College students spend massive amounts of time communicating. These students are usually listening to a professor give a lecture, emailing, listening to music, or text messaging on their cell phones. According to Gaither (2006), “College students predominantly use texting as a way to escape. They use it as way to get away from the pressures of life and find other likeminded individuals.  Mostly they’re looking for entertainment, coordination, and sociability.”  Most importantly, Gaither (2006) found that text messaging has provided all the signs of addiction.  In order to find something to be addictive, it must fall under three motives which are escape, ritual, and compensation. (Gaither, C. 2006).  People who use text messages have a tendency to focus solely on the phone when communicating, rather than paying attention to the world around them.  This behavior demonstrates a form of escape. The user controls the time, place, and content of the message which is part of compensation. Finally, the user engages in constant daily messages which indicate ritual. Ergo, text messaging could be addicting. (Adams, J et al. 2008).  In a recent study, several top executives from around New York City were challenged to go a day without their blackberry.  The executives handed over their devices first thing in the morning and proceeded to go about their day.  By noon, several of the executives were beginning to show signs of withdrawal.  One executive even went so far as to go to a cell phone store and purchase another phone to replace the one that was being held during the study. (Gaither, C. 2006). 

Conclusion

This paper showed text messaging as a main means of communication does produce problems that face-to-face communication would easily avoid. The goal of this paper is not to deter texting as a whole, but simply to seek a better understanding of what texting is doing to the people of modern society. Most people aren’t aware of the fact that they are pulling away from verbal communication. (Adams, J et al. 2008).   In the future, perhaps slowing down and going to physically meet a friend or colleague for a conversation will prevent someone from making the dastardly mistake of miscommunication.

References

Adams, J., Baker, K., Daufin, E.K., Ellington, C., Emanuel, R., Fitts, E., Himsel, J., Holladay, L. & Okeowo D. (2008). How college students spend their time communicating. International Journal of Listening. LA Press

Gaither, C. (2006) The Affect of New Technology on Social Skills. LA Press

Lee, K.C. & Perry, S.D. (2007). Communicatio. South African Journal for Communication Theory & Research

Trenholm, S. & Jensen, A. (2008). Interpersonal Communication Sixth Edition. Oxford University Press.