Texting Craze

The text messaging feature that one can find on most modern cell phones caused cell phones to be commonly known as the "new typewriter." These phones offer the owner a way to communicate via typing what you want to say from your cell phone to another one. You can even send pictures and videos, if you like. By using text messages, you are sending short messages usually made up of 160 words or less. Person-to-person messaging is the most common form of text messaging, but you can also use them to order products or to play games.

In 2000 alone, there were approximately 17 billion text messages sent. In 2001, there were 250 billion text messages sent, and 500 billion messages in 2004. Cell phones were used primarily as a way of communicating with other people by voice, but today, many are using them as primarily text messengers. This new-age typewriter, so to speak, is very unique as you don't have to type in a complete word because the text message feature on the phone can do this for you. Some phones even have a QWERTY keyboard to make texting even easier.

Cell phones can send these messages instantly and they are received soon thereafter. There is a new lingo which is used for text messaging. This lingo is also commonly known as 'text shorthand'. Common phrases are shortened into acronyms in order to make texting even easier for those who are addicted to it. Today, there are more than 82 million people that do text messaging on a regular basis.