What is the point of text messaging?

[TheRundownRabbit]

I never got what the big deal about text messaging was. Its faster to call someone then send messages back and forth.
Can someone please elaborate.

Oh yea, and dont give me that "so you can talk to your friends during class" bullshit, you should be paying attention

 

[Katherine Kerensky]

Well, it costs less to get just as much or more said, it is clearer (Unless the receiver is illiterate), and you spend less time with a phone stuck to the side of your head.

 

[Gxas]

It is sometimes faster to call, but texts can be read anywhere. If you're in a crowded room, say, a sports arena, a phone call is not ideal at all compared to a text.

 

[TheNumber1Zero]

While I find it mostly pointless, and dread it for the invention of 'Txt Language', I did find one possible use.

Talking to someone with a Cellphone in a loud area.

Now I'm off to invent something even more useless, Texting in Braille.

 

[Legion]

It used to be a lot cheaper than phoning, plus getting a message every few minutes makes people feel loved. Also some people hate using phones and feel more comfortable texting as they are not "on the spot" as it were.

Not forgetting the ability to send to multiple people, have a private conversation and ignore anyone if choose to.

Personally I hate phoning and texting, probably because people only seem to do it if there's a problem or they want something.

 

[Casual Shinji]

It's less personal so it's easier to do.

 

[thenumberthirteen]

Cheaper, lower bandwidth, can be automated, can be sent to multiple people at once, can be saved, no need to bother with voice mail.

 

[TheRundownRabbit]

Well, it costs less to get just as much or more said, it is clearer (Unless the receiver is illiterate), and you spend less time with a phone stuck to the side of your head.

I guess that makes sense

 

[Lord Mountbatten Reborn]

While I find it mostly pointless, and dread it for the invention of 'Txt Language'...

Even telegrams used correct spelling.

OT: I never usually use my phone, so anyone ringing me won't normally get me. Leaving a message of sorts is good to ensure I get what they want to say eventually.

 

[Woodsey]

It's a lot cheaper and it's more effort to actually talk to someone.

 

[Outright Villainy]

I get unlimited free texts, so it's a lot cheaper than voice calls. Actually, I don't really like voice calls anyway, I'd prefer to talk to someone face to face. Texting is better than calling, for me.

 

[Tzekelkan]

I only text if I have something brief to communicate, or to tell someone to call me if they're momentarily out of range.

 

[TheColdHeart]

I can text my friends at work sat at desk but I couldn't call a friend and just have a chat with them.

 

[leviathanmisha]

I prefer texting because I use less of my prepaid minutes to say a few words...damn you cheap cell phone!!

 

[Distorted Stu]

I prefer texting some people more than others. For example, a friend of mien is a total war head. Hes tryign for the RAF and NAVY. So a quick text is all he needs to fully understand a situation. Unlike my dippy blonde girl friend who it takes 3 fully typed descriptive texts to get her to understand what im wanting from her!

 

[DefunctTheory]

1. Sending a message to large groups of people.
2. To communicate in an environment where speaking may be impossible (Noisy areas, utter silence areas, when you're being kidnapped by ninjas and don't want them to realize they forgot to take your cell phone away.

I do get your point though. If I can call, I always call. If I can;t, well, texting may be the only option.

 

[phANT1m]

For me it is cost wise and I still get the message I need across.

 

[GodKlown]

I resisted for the longest time in getting a cell phone. Once they did away with nearly all pay phones, I had no other choice but to get one. What I don't understand is people who get addicted to texting. There has been a free service available on the internet for a long time called instant messaging that works just as well, and most send SMS messages.
Most of my friends HATE the fact that I don't have text messaging on my cell phone (I deactivated the feature in the first month that I bought my last cell phone a few years ago) because I can't stand the constant annoyance of having to respond instantly to any stupid text that comes my way, lest I get bombarded by subsequent texts asking why I haven't answered the first text yet! If they want to reach me, they can call my cell, call the land line, send me an email (I'm starting to wonder if people actually still DO that), or catch me online through Skype. It's not like I'm hard to reach... but being tethered to a cell phone for texting is like buying a car to listen just to the radio. Why bother even having a device that makes phone calls when you would rather text someone? They already make devices that only text, so why pay for an expensive cell phone with a mini keyboard?
If you have nothing important to say, I don't need to pay a dime to know it. And what is worse than someone sending you a message they intended for someone else? Anyone ever been broken up with via text message?