News Commentary: Is Texting Eliminating Our Social Skills?

There is a well thought out article in the Baltimore Sun today proposing that our current generation of twenty-somethings lack interpersonal social skills because they grew up in an age dominated by the text message. Makes for a good read and a good think piece.

On Mondays I offer comments on some of the most interesting information technology stories that I have found on the web that week. Please feel free to join in the discussion or suggest other stories.

Today’s comments were generated after I read a The Baltimore Sun story. Give it a read below.

The Baltimore Sun – Learn 2 communic8, pls — In a world of textual hugs and e-mail breakups, social skills are on the wane

“If you sit in the library after school, text-messaging to people across the room ("Hey, whassup? RUOK? L8R" ), you’ve successfully eliminated 98 percent of the nuance of face-to-face dialogue, the delicious nuance and also the awkward stuff, like when you send a big textual hug ("((H))") to people you’ve never actually put your arms around — you’ve skipped some essential steps in gaining intimacy.”

I have to admit that I like text messaging for the exact reasons that this author fears it – you get to communicate without all that “messy” misunderstanding associated with body language and contact. Having said that, I only text about 200 times per month. If I was, say a young person, who texted 10,000 times a month, I think that I might let those other skills atrophy a bit by default. Here in lies the problem. It is not texting that is to blame, but texting without any other form of communication being exercised.

What do you think about this topic? Do you agree or disagree with me? Do you have a recommended news story for next week? Please share your ideas below.

That is my Information Technology Thought of the Day (ITTOD) for May 10, 2010 by Scott Coughlin.

Image Credit: The York Nursing School