Text flirting

Technology: Mobiles / cell phones have changed the ebb and flow of teenage romance. They can end relationships, empower shy wallflowers and be used to coerce people into ‘sexting’. How much do you love your phone?

Ahh, the cell phone. In some circles it is looked upon as the proverbial ‘fruit of life’, and in others it is the sign of privilege and, sometimes, ingratitude.

I, myself, have a cell phone. Nothing snappy, just a little flip phone to text with. I have one cell phone on which I text friends. I have 30 contacts in my phone. I only text four. However, I know firsthand how the cell phone can essentially take over your life. I mean, I have skipped meals to text. Is that pathetic? Yes. But it’s also technology, and technology just takes over completely.

For me, having my phone is a good thing. It saves me from boredom, and keeps me in the loop with my friends who don’t have Myspace or Facebook accounts. Were I in an emergency situation, I could just whip out my cellie for help, right? But let’s get real. How often do you get into an emergency, to the point you need a cell phone? Unless you’re a danger magnet ( and if you are, my heart goes out to you), there’s no real NEED for a cell phone.

But, like anything else, it’s fun to have. And, also like anything else, it can be an inconveniance. As a friend of mine said, ‘Once, I was livid because my mom wouldn’t let me spend time with my boyfriend, so I texted him. “I hate my mom!” I’d said. Seconds later, my mom knocked on the door and asked, “You hate me?” with a smirk. I discovered I’d typed “Mom” into the Address bar.’

As I said, it helps us keep in touch with people, namely our boyfriends and girlfriends. In fact, the cellphone is a ‘romantic enhancer’ for many teenagers. You can flirt without the embarrassment, or the nervousness. You can tell people things you would NEVER tell them in real life, without the major blushing (or at least, without them SEEING it). It’s an easy way to take your love life to the next level, and feel comfortable with someone.

However, on that note, there are many pressures. Ever heard of sexting? Yeah. Another friend of mine told me that her boyfriend pressured her to send, er, ‘questionable’ pictures to him, which she did. Unfortunately, in this day in age, those pics could’ve ended up anywhere. Now, she’s not famous, of course. But what if the whole school saw those pictures? That’s a scary thought…

There are some advantages to the camera. Let’s say your best friend is Jen, and you saw Jen’s boyfriend, Steve, macking on Alyssa. Let’s pretend that Alyssa and Jen are archenemies. If you told Jen about it, would she believe you? (would you?) No! So, you whip out your phone and voila! Instant evidence. Funnily enough, a situation like this occured with an aquaintance of mine, and because of the picture, she ended a relationship that wasn’t good for her at all.

Ending relationships over text, by the way, is a growing phenomenon. My best friend recently got dumped over text by her boyfriend of two years. What a guy, eh? So, I suppose that the cell phone can really show what kind of a person you are.

Whether you text when you aren’t supposed to, or only use it in emergencies, the cell phone has made quite an impact on our society today.