Text O' holic needs help (How much do you text ?)

[stewart38]

Dear doctor

My texting is getting out of control

I’ve gone cold turkey sometimes and left fone at home but tend to race home and get my fix of text. That’s actually denial ive just forgot the mobile once and a while

How does one break a habit , I was going to call it an addiction but think that’s over the top. I’m not talking about life threatening stuff drink/ drugs or posting on the forum etc .

If you service provider gives you 3000 ‘free texts’ the cost isn’t an issue as well.

Usually belief is you take up another habit that isn’t so ‘bad’ like using the phone ??

You help appreciated please by text ?

Whats a safe level of ‘text’ a 1000 a month ? 300 ? 3,000 ?

[Sunshine_Annie]

Hi There

I'm interested in this one - I text between 200 and 600 a month...

Do I have a problem too?

Ok so I do understand your feelings about leaving the phone at home, I feel totally cut off when I do that. My phone has all my diary details in too so I've no idea what I'm doing in my social life when I dont have it with me...

Maybe we should try leaving it at home once a week and see how we get on ?

a

[TiggsTours]

Originally Posted by stewart38

Dear doctor

My texting is getting out of control

I’ve gone cold turkey sometimes and left fone at home but tend to race home and get my fix of text. That’s actually denial ive just forgot the mobile once and a while

How does one break a habit , I was going to call it an addiction but think that’s over the top. I’m not talking about life threatening stuff drink/ drugs or posting on the forum etc .

If you service provider gives you 3000 ‘free texts’ the cost isn’t an issue as well.

Usually belief is you take up another habit that isn’t so ‘bad’ like using the phone ??

You help appreciated please by text ?

Whats a safe level of ‘text’ a 1000 a month ? 300 ? 3,000 ?

I used to be a text addict too, in fact, I still am, I've just been reasonably "clean" for a while!

I switched to pay as you go, I only have the moblie, no landline for me, so I'm on it alot, but with all the calls and text bundles I get, and free calls and texts all weekend, it only costs me about £35 a month! I'd never go back to a contract.

Now that I can structure my freebie stuff the way I like, rather than having 3000 free texts inflicted on me, but nowhere near enough free calls, as I used to find with contracts, then I just try to actually pick up the phone and call people more often! I still text alot, but I also have alot more real conversations.

[stewart38]

Originally Posted by Sunshine_Annie

Hi There


Maybe we should try leaving it at home once a week and see how we get on ?

a

But not on the same day

[Sunshine_Annie]

Originally Posted by stewart38

But not on the same day

why would that start a rumour

[Dreadful Scathe]

excuse me!

I was wandering past this thread and couldnt help but overhear.

You both clearly have serious issues. Stewart38's are well documented, the index alone takes up 2 rooms in the famous Harley Street Psychiatric Libray (wibble level 10), but Sunshine Annie is, so far, an unknown. Tiggs Tours ? Hmm compared to Stewart38, almost sane

Right now that thats out of the way, we can talk about how social parasites like yourselves suck the life out of an entire generation of people. Why parasites ? Because you're sucking the soul out of society one tuneless set of beeps at a time.

Whats wrong with a face to face conversation? Why not wait until you see your friends in person? I've lost count of the number of times I've seen several memebrs of a group in a pub or restaurant texting others when they should be talking with the people they are with...and then you meet the people you were texting, to then text someone completely different. Put your mobile phone down, make eye contact and talk about something you absolute tiny resolutioned screened r.s.i. thumbed beeping ignoring MUPPETS!!! I've even seen people answer their phones in the hairdressers - even if it is a text... WHAT ARE YOU ALL ABOUT, its not THAT important. Are you trying to impress?? nobody thinks you're important just because your fashionable pink tiny phone chirps at you every 30 seconds. They think you're SAAAAD! Put it down. Stand up from your chair and cheerfully run naked down the street singing "Im Free Im Free". Thats official. Trust me, im a Doctor.

This has been a public service announcement on behalf of Dr.Smurfs Harley Street Quack Clinic. Please send for our leaflets "Stick that phone right up your ar5e" and "So help me....if that beeps again"

yours lovingly

Dr. Crazy Frog

[TheTramp]

Originally Posted by TiggsTours

I switched to pay as you go, I only have the moblie, no landline for me, so I'm on it alot, but with all the calls and text bundles I get, and free calls and texts all weekend, it only costs me about £35 a month! I'd never go back to a contract.

Except that I'm on a contract, and it costs me about £15-20 a month....

[Lory]

Originally Posted by stewart38

3000 ‘free texts’

What an earth can people find to write in 3000 texts

I get 200 free but on average, use only about 50 and they're usually just to respond to the kids.

I read an interesting article the other day, it was all about kids and how today's technology is changing their personalities.

With all the texts, and the instant responses they can get from the likes of MSN, SKYPE and MySpace, some never allow themselves any time to digest their thoughts or internalise their feelings, they feel the need to instantly share their every thought, the very second they have it and receive feedback on it!

Some become overly reliant on this 'instant feedback' and chat continuously, 24/7! They simply can't cope without sharing their every thought!

They create 'virtual friends' from strangers and as long as these virtual friends keep giving them what they want (instant attention) they are not bothered about forming 'real relationships' If these friends don't perform how they'd like them to, it's very easy to drop them.

The trouble comes, when real life, doesn't match up. They crave 'instant gratification' and get very bored and impatient with their 'real friends' .. they just text 10 more people and see who responds the quickest!


Sorry, gone off on a tangent there!

[Stuart M]

Amazing...

Originally Posted by Lory

Some become overly reliant on this 'instant feedback' and chat continuously, 24/7! They simply can't cope without sharing their every thought!

Originally Posted by Oxford English Dictionary definition of "Women"

People who become overly reliant on instant feedback and chat continuously, 24/7, who simply can't cope without sharing their every thought!

I'm a dead man...

[drathzel]

used to send about 1000 per month now its only about 600 (i got a life)

[Beowulf]

I send about 3 or 4 texts a day on average. sometimes less.. sometimes more.

if my friend Michelle decides to chat it'll be 20 or 30 texts !! but these days if after 4 or 5 texts it looks like she's starting a conversation I'll suggest she either phones me or logs into MSN messenger.

Txt is fine and handy enough for short and quick messages but it's not a medium I like to have long conversations over besides.. predictive text typing leads to some funny messages..

"Am on country cup now.. missed town cup by 5 mins. so will be good later than usual. Keep dimmer warm for me"

ahem oops My ex saved that message.. as she says it makes her laugh everytime she reads it

[Sunshine_Annie]

some very good points, I did read with interest. Your comments about the kids was a little worrying. I hear people at work talking about their children going on messenger as soon as they arrive home from school and staying on there all night... very scary, whats happened to hanging out on street corners

I will add in my defense, I dont answer the phone too much in the hairdressers as I class that as my time and I dont while at the stables as the reception is just awful its a good excuse not to respond

[stewart38]

Originally Posted by Sunshine_Annie

why would that start a rumour

Ill text you when i get in

[stewart38]

Originally Posted by Lory

I read an interesting article the other day, it was all about kids and how today's technology is changing their personalities.

With all the texts, and the instant responses they can get from the likes of MSN, SKYPE and MySpace, some never allow themselves any time to digest their thoughts or internalise their feelings, they feel the need to instantly share their every thought, the very second they have it and receive feedback on it!

There was programme on tele I saw (in between texting) about kids spending 10hrs a day on game boy type things. Id never got past level 2 so id be no good

I was a bit confused about that if the kids are off the street in their bedroom and quite, playing games for 10/12 hours a day what’s the problem ??

Seriously this ‘incident feedback loop’ is very interesting

My friend text someone and on the third text (with no response) had in their mind what’s the slowest way to burn the person for having the audacity not to respond

That person had left their phone at home

[Lory]

Originally Posted by stewart38

Seriously this ‘incident feedback loop’ is very interesting

I think you mean 'instant feedback'

[TiggsTours]

Originally Posted by Dreadful Scathe

excuse me!

I was wandering past this thread and couldnt help but overhear.

You both clearly have serious issues. Stewart38's are well documented, the index alone takes up 2 rooms in the famous Harley Street Psychiatric Libray (wibble level 10), but Sunshine Annie is, so far, an unknown. Tiggs Tours ? Hmm compared to Stewart38, almost sane

Right now that thats out of the way, we can talk about how social parasites like yourselves suck the life out of an entire generation of people. Why parasites ? Because you're sucking the soul out of society one tuneless set of beeps at a time.

Whats wrong with a face to face conversation? Why not wait until you see your friends in person? I've lost count of the number of times I've seen several memebrs of a group in a pub or restaurant texting others when they should be talking with the people they are with...and then you meet the people you were texting, to then text someone completely different. Put your mobile phone down, make eye contact and talk about something you absolute tiny resolutioned screened r.s.i. thumbed beeping ignoring MUPPETS!!! I've even seen people answer their phones in the hairdressers - even if it is a text... WHAT ARE YOU ALL ABOUT, its not THAT important. Are you trying to impress?? nobody thinks you're important just because your fashionable pink tiny phone chirps at you every 30 seconds. They think you're SAAAAD! Put it down. Stand up from your chair and cheerfully run naked down the street singing "Im Free Im Free". Thats official. Trust me, im a Doctor.

This has been a public service announcement on behalf of Dr.Smurfs Harley Street Quack Clinic. Please send for our leaflets "Stick that phone right up your ar5e" and "So help me....if that beeps again"

yours lovingly

Dr. Crazy Frog

Excuse me monsieur froggy! I take offence at the implication that I am rude enough to be texting people when out with someone else!

When I say I'm a text addict, I mean that I always thought I texted rather than phoned too often. I buy a bundle of 400 texts a month, and NEVER get through them all! Alot of my friends and all my family live over 60 miles away, so not that easy to pop in for a cup of tea and a chat, so when I phone someone it is either a necessary conversation to make arrangements to meet, or it is a phone call to a friend or family member that I can't just pop over and visit.

When I do meet up with a friend I haven't seen for a while, I ALWAYS switch my phone OFF! If I am with a friend I see regularly, I will only call someone else or text them if really necessary, and if someone calls me, I keep it short!

Please don't imply I am some type of social pariah!

[Dreadful Scathe]

Originally Posted by TiggsTours

Excuse me monsieur froggy! I take offence at the implication that I am rude enough to be texting people when out with someone else!

When I say I'm a text addict, I mean that I always thought I texted rather than phoned too often. I buy a bundle of 400 texts a month, and NEVER get through them all! Alot of my friends and all my family live over 60 miles away, so not that easy to pop in for a cup of tea and a chat, so when I phone someone it is either a necessary conversation to make arrangements to meet, or it is a phone call to a friend or family member that I can't just pop over and visit.

When I do meet up with a friend I haven't seen for a while, I ALWAYS switch my phone OFF! If I am with a friend I see regularly, I will only call someone else or text them if really necessary, and if someone calls me, I keep it short!

Please don't imply I am some type of social pariah!

Dear Miss Pariah

I did start it off with "you both" as it was really Stewart38 and Sunshine Annie I was referring too - I questioned your sanity merely as an afterthought (and free of charge too)

You're very defensive for someone who does not see themselves as a social pariah How on earth did you manage in the 80's - you must have been in every 2nd phone box whenever you ventured outside (or were you always within easy shouting distance?)

Phones you carry with you - pah - ridiculous idea and anyone who uses one is a blight on society. I also understand they're responsible for brain tumours and microwaved cows on hillsides. I've done research.

yours

Dr. MicroBurger