Texting and the Future of Romance

(2:11:10AM)Me: Hey, what are you up to?

(2:16:12AM)Anonymous Hamilton Boy: Diner, u?

(2:18:10AM)Me: Bundy!

(2:26:34AM)Anonymous Hamilton Boy: Come to the diner! Let's hang

(2:29:40AM)Me: Come down the hill!

(2:40:15AM)Anonymous Hamilton Boy: You come here! Diner b

(2:43:10AM)Me: Haha k see you soon

(2:44:12AM)Anonymous Hamilton Boy: Word

 

            Recall in your head how often you have had a conversation like this via text message, on any given night out at Hamilton, with an individual of the opposite sex. On the Hill, this kind of conversation, which I actually copied verbatim from my phone and is only two weeks old, is quite commonplace. In fact, I could point to many weekends in which I have had an almost identical discussion with different gentlemen at Hamilton. True to form, it cannot be denied that the Hamilton weekend culture and social life centers around the back and forth of texting. Sending a text is the way we flirt and initiate relationships. Men and women alike, whether at a Bundy party, a suite, or the buzzing Howard Diner, can often be seen furiously texting in order to find the special someone they have been looking for on a Saturday night.

            Whereas for our parents generation, it probably would be normal and second-nature to just call a person in order to meet up with them and hang out, at Hamilton and certainly other similar colleges and universities texting is a safe and harmless way to communicate. A female student of the sophomore class even states, "It is more socially acceptable now to text someone than to pick up your phone and call a person to hang out." We can all relate to this student's insight; texting is more comfortable for us simply because it eliminates the risk of being personally rejected and can be done on-the-go. In terms of commencing a relationship with a student at Hamilton, texting is one way to keep your guard up during those first series of meet-ups, you know, before you can actually call the person and put yourself out there. As another female sophomore explains, "texting helps you get to know the person before you actually start talking to him. It helps you test the waters before you actually commit."

A common caveat of the convenience of texting is the time delay that usually accompanies this type of communication, which often produces a gloomy sense of doubt. When we take risks in texting others to see "what they are up to", we place emphasis on the importance of receiving responses in a timely manner. Waiting for a response after sending a text, though, a student can and often does begin to get anxious--which leads to wondering why the text was even sent in the first place. It may sound silly, but the truth is we all can empathize with the nervousness that abounds in texting someone we like, alongside the disintegration of self-esteem that coincides with every minute we have to wait for a response from the person we want to see.

      In reality, texting in the current technologically advanced culture where everyone has iphones, blackberrys, and mobile instant messaging, is pretty much unavoidable at Hamilton. And though it may be a convenient form of talking to someone, in all honesty it is transforming romance into a virtual phenomenon where flirting can be done digitally and people do not actually feel the need to be conversing face-to-face.

Though of course it is impossible to go back in time and erase the development of texting from technology's history, in many ways it is not a positive trend because it has turned traditional romance into an obsolete fad. People can't just call each other anymore, because it is an uncomfortable thought and something that is outdated. We are all too dependent on our mobile keyboards so much so that texting is becoming much more of a ubiquitous occurrence than it should be. So, it might be time to double back and reconsider the advantages of direct contact, such as speaking with a person over the phone, in order to meet up. Yes, texting will always be an option, but do we want it to be? We could all benefit from giving our thumbs a rest every now and then.