First there was the telephone, one of the most astonishing inventions ever created to communicate with people conveniently. Then came the voicemail. Then, there’s the e-mail, a faster and cheaper way to communicate than the telephone or voicemail. But perhaps nothing can get any cheaper and faster a way to communicate than text messaging. And it has but become a big hit across all countries for its uses.

Text messaging has so much become a part of everyday life that one may not be able to do without it anymore. SMS, or short messaging service, is the cheapest, easiest and most convenient way to send and receive information. The popularity of SMS could be attributed to several factors. For one, it is way cheaper than phone calls. You can send text messages to anyone in the world very affordably or even for free, such as in online mobile SMS services. With SMS you can send as many messages to as many people as you want, when you want.

But the immense popularity of the SMS may be sending yet another message to people in general. And some people may look at this technological phenomenon with caveat as it may slowly take the place of real conversation – that is, being able to communicate with someone face to face, of being able to gauge other people’s reactions by yourself and being able to connect with people on a more personal note.

This technology may but be considered to be the lowest form of human interaction; and even if you may be keeping in touch with them, you are not actually communicating on a deeper or personal note, something that should constitute the real essence of communication anyway.

While it may be true that text messaging has made life easier and more convenient, its tradeoffs may have taken the better of many people. Sure, we can send a text message to anyone with utmost ease and convenience, but at what cost? It is ironic to think that this technological phenomenon, in its bid to bring people closer, actually pulls people away from the real essence of communication. What could be deeper and more meaningful than to have a friend listen to you ramble about how your day has been, your concerns, your interests and thoughts? What could be more heartfelt than to personally tell your loved one how you feel about him or her, eye to eye and straight in the face, instead of trying to fit your thoughts into a small screen within a limited number of characters to boot?

Additionally, because text messaging does away with all formalities that usually take a lot of effort such as grammar, many scholars and well meaning people worry about the effect that it can cause to people, with misspellings, incorrect grammar or too much slang already becoming acceptable for still, and yet sadly, the purpose of convenience. And if the great people of our society toiled writing letters of their priceless pieces, we begin to wonder how future scholars can be able to emulate if they do so through text messaging. To this, we do not know what to think and what it will make of our society in the future. 

And while text messaging has made communication easier with just a press of the button, it can still never be able to exactly convey what you mean the way you do when you say something face to face. Its immense popularity may have made many people forget the real essence of communication and its deep value. It is in the excessive use of text messaging when even the most honest or deepest of feelings can be taken the wrong way or in pure irony.

Text messaging may be a form of communication. We can only tell whether it can really help people to truly connect.