It is Tuesday at 12:17 p.m. Students have just finished class and are taking breaks outside until their next class at 12:30.What?s the first thing they do after they leave the classroom? Check their cell phones, of course. That is, if they haven?t already checked it during their professor ?s closing remarks.
Just take a look around campus–everybody?s doing it. Cell phones are the perfect way to quickly stay in touch. They change the way people communicate.
They?re annoying and addictive at the same time. Not only can people talk to their friends over the phone, but they can text message them as well, and many students across college campuses are.
Gerard Galasso, a junior at WCU, thinks text messaging should be free. He also sees another side to the text message craze.
“Text messaging should not be a substitute for phone calls,” said Galasso. “It should not be a way to avoid confronting people.”
No matter what role text messaging plays in students? lives, if they?ve got a cell phone, it probably exists. Text messaging is a trend that won?t quit. It?s like AOL Instant Messenger, but better. A computer isn?t necessary the cell phone is easily accessible and ready for texting at all times.
Trend-setting teens are at the forefront of the text messaging explosion. According to a recent study conducted by Opinion Research Corporation, 36 percent of college-age students ages 18-21 send mobile messages from their cell phones.
In this fast-paced world, students have no choice but to use text messaging as a way of keeping up, right? College students are certainly on-the-go and so it?s no surprise that they?ve come to rely on their cell phones, namely text messaging, to easily reach friends and family. Text messaging is especially convenient because it doesn?t require any talking. It can be done in the dorm with a sleeping roommate, at the library, and hey, even in the classroom.
Students never have to be disconnected from people if they don?t want to. Still in mid-conversation on AOL Instant Messenger when it?s time to leave for class? Don?t worry. If students have AIM on their cell phones, they can just finish their conversations on the way to class.
Many mobile phones and PDAs have built-in “Mobile IM” features, and most phones can download mobile versions of popular IM services like AOL Instant Messenger found at www.aolmobile.com. With this service, messages can be forwarded directly to cell phones from the computer.
Ever wonder what the little phone icon is doing next to some screennames on AIM buddy lists? Students have probably figured it out by now: It means that not only can that person be reached through a phone call or text message, but they can also receive instant messages on their cell phones. This feature, along with the popular text messaging service, allows for students and their buddies to LOL all the time.