Generation Text

That's the name I would give the generation that includes current high school students.

I was on the train a few weeks back and noticed a teenaged girl across from me texting away. I called a friend of mine. We talked for a half hour. Yeah, that's a long phone conversation for a guy, but whatever. We were talking creative stuff. At one point I thought "that's the difference between my generation and hers: if I want to talk to someone for that length of time I'd rather just call," which I was doing. The girl, meanwhile, kept right on texting. Finally, off the phone, I started reading a magazine. I didn't pay attention to the girl while reading but when I got up to get off the train the girl was still texting. Could she have taken a break while I was reading? Yeah, but somehow I doubt it. So that's like an hour of straight texting.

A week or so later I was on the train (aaagain) with my wife and in front of us sat a couple of teenaged girls. Across from them sat three of their friends. Five girls, together, talking away. Yakkity yak yak. And texting. Texting texting texting. Nonstop. That was impressive. I watched the girls in front of me and was further impressed with their texting speed. It seemed like they were texting as fast with their thumbs as I type with all ten of my fingers (and I know how to type).

And then, as if all this weren't enough, I came to the most startling revelation after about forty five minutes: these girls? They were texting each other!!!!!! I kid you not. One of the girls would type something and another of them, across the aisle, would laugh and say "yeah" or something. That blew me away. Sitting together on the train yakking it up isn't enough? Apparently not. Wow. So is this generation just that ADD or or they just that adept at multi-tasking?

And why is it always the girls that I see texting so much? Do the guys do it too? To that extent?