As a certified 21st century girl, I love all forms of “e” (or “i” for all you Mac geeks) communication. Email, IM, tweeting, texting — they’re all great ways to stay connected. So why are movie theaters, schools and other public places getting so strict about them?
Well I guess maybe because there’s a time and place for everything, including texting.
Hate to sound like you grandma by saying things like “there’s a time and place for everything” but…here goes:
One of the ways you can date a movie is by observing the telephone usage of the characters. For instance, how many chick flicks have you seen where Mom answers the phone and it’s, swoon!, Bobby from the football game calling to speak with Megan. Does Meg play hard to get and pretend like she’s not home? Will Mom jot down a message and stick it to the fridge? Maybe Megan grabs the phone up in her room and excitedly twirls the cord around her finger as she accepts Bobby’s invitation to dinner.
In every dorm room and apartment I’ve shared with friends, I’ve wanted to get a communal landline and implement the message corkboard. Of course I never voiced my desires, but it all seemed so…quaint. In my head I pictured us all going out to the bar on Friday night and waking up Saturday afternoon to a barrage of post-its sporting guys’ names and numbers. Maybe we’d even have a color-coded system. Red for hottie, blue nottie, pink for potentially gay.
In reality, Saturday afternoons were spent on the couch watching Housewives marathons and being jarred out of a trance as our cell phones vibrated and beeped. Todd says: “Nice 2 meet U last nite. Going out agn?” Mark says: “Wut up?”
I’ve been there, and I’d bet ten dollar-beers that you’ve been there, too. The sad part is, we’ll respond, albeit halfheartedly, knowing exactly what they’re getting at. “Going out again?” is code for “Wanna make out tonight if we happen to be wasted at the same place at the same time?” and a seemingly innocent “What’s up?” is the product of a moronic mind who has nothing more interesting to say to the goddess of a woman he met over Long Islands. Read More »
This month’s issue of Cosmo may just take the award for most insightful published information yet. (Where’s that sarcastic font when we need it most?)
First we learn what kind of behavior is too freaky to fix on a man… such as someone who Tweets every time you switch positions in bed. If you didn’t know that before reading Cosmo, then your behavior is probably too freaky to fix, too.
Then we move on to several quizzes, in which we learn that we will be rich one day if we answer yes to having played competitive sports or were on the debate team in high school. Somehow I have a feeling Bill Gates was involved in neither and look at him now.
This month’s Cosmo also teaches readers how to flirt with anyone and everyone, including the dry cleaner. Because that tiny little man who cleans the stains off of my bedding is exactly who I want to take home to momma….
Oh, and real quickly: when did horoscopes start mentioning text messages and what flavor lube I’ll be interested in this month? Does that change by the month? What happened to good old advice on what to do when my friend gets mad at me on the 8th? And why does Carrie Underwood’s hair look so greasy that it appears she hasn’t washed it in months? Gross.
But even with all of that priceless information and advice, the March issue gets even better: What his Texts Really Mean. I know, it sounds groundbreaking, right? Like the kind of information that could earn those Cosmo girls a Nobel Prize. I mean, we’ve all wondered what the hell he was trying to say and now Cosmo is going to break it all down for us and help us respond!
Well, that was the intention anyway…. Read More »
Romeo and Juliet probably would not have been the famous star-crossed lovers had they met at a bar instead of a balcony. We all remember the duo that defined infatuation, Juliet up on her pedestal and Romeo down on one knee. Though I hate to be the bearer of bad news, the times have changed since the days of poetic love letters and walking a girl to the front door.
Despite what Taylor Swift might sing.
Let’s not be blinded by St. Valentine himself. A few secret admirers are sprouting up these days and chocolates may end up in my mailbox on the 14th of February, but I want to focus on the other 364 calendar days. Where did dinner at a nice restaurant go? Why are guys no longer lending a sweater when my arms get chilly? How come the term “first date” is becoming just as out-of-date as the Spice Girls’ famous “girl power” slogan?
Let’s face it: Chivalry is dead on college campuses. Feel free to send flowers because a guy is not about to. The love letters that used to bear hearts and souls have been replaced by 140 character text messages. That first date is more likely to involve a grungy couch at 2a.m., not a romantically lit table for two. Gone are the days of sweaty palms and Cupid’s arrows. These days college courtship revolves around Facebook “pokes” and the highly anticipated changing of the status from “single” to “in a relationship”.
I hear tales all the time from my parents and extended family that involve sweet little love stories laced with flowers left on the doorstep and first dates where a guy actually met the parents. And he picked the girl up. And he actually took her somewhere that didn’t include Solo cups and a $5 cover charge.
Crazy, I know. Read More »
Anyone here remember the 70′s? No, of course not – we weren’t even a blip on mom and dad’s radar yet. But they were there practicing free love and dabbling in drugs and all the other dangerous things they tell us about to keep us on the straight-and-narrow.
The most dangerous thing our generation is doing? Texting, apparently.
The New York Times recently wrote an article (published in their ‘health’ section, no less) about the dangers of texting. The sources scattered throughout the article wail about their teenage son or daughter sending thousands of texts per month (uh…more like per week) and the drastic effects it has on their poor baby’s health.
Seriously, parents and teachers? You’re worried about excessive texting rather than say, drunk driving or hard drug use? I mean, a case of sore thumbs can certainly ruin your day, but I’m pretty sure huffing paint thinner is gonna at least eff up your week.
The article cites problems such as anxiety, distraction in school, failing grades (probably a result of the distraction, I’m guessing), repetitive stress injury, and sleep deprivation. Um, this may just be me, but doesn’t that sound like a normal high school or college student? Hell, even before I had texting on my phone (yes, I was a late texting bloomer), I had a fair few of those ‘symptoms’ (especially around finals week).
Let’s get serious, New York Times. Why don’t we set the texting ‘issue’ aside and maybe focus on something else (anything else)? Besides, in the time it took me to read your ridiculous article, I could have sent 17 text messages to my friends looking for drugs or discussing last night’s nooky. Clearly, our generation has larger issues.
Are you planning on sending a romantic text or picture message this Valentine’s Day? According to a recent AT&T survey 36% of texters are. 40% of those people plan on sending 5 or more (hopefully they are sending to friends and don’t have 5 or more lovers). 48% of texters say getting a V-Day text is about the same as getting a V-Day card.
Looks like Valentine’s Day in the 21st century looks a lot different than it used to. Whereas candy and cards used to be the only way to go, now we can email, IM, video chat, or text the people we love. But even with all those new avenues of communication, what you say and how you say it are still very important.
Since so many people will be sending texts this V-Day, you are going to need 2 things to get by:
1. An understanding of appropriate textiquette.
2. A phone that makes sending and receiving texts a whole lot easier.
Well, lookie here; we got em both for ya.
CollegeCandy teamed up with AT&T again to give one lucky reader a brand new Samsung Propel. This phone is pretty sweet, if we must say so ourselves. It is small and handy, but slides open to reveal a full keyboard! No more T-9 mishaps for you! Read More »
Texting: we all do it. A lot.
It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s especially useful when making a phone call isn’t an option (like at work or in class where you technically shouldn’t be using your phone…or when you want to flirt with a guy without being too committal.). It’s convenience is part of the reason it’s become so popular over the last several years.
However, not everyone (Read: crotchety old people) thinks it’s so great – many critics claim that texting is contributing to the deterioration of the English language. Critics worry that the common practice of using abbreviations and shorthand in text messages will cause people begin to speaking in shorthand, too. They also claim that students are turning in papers riddled with text-message slang.
WTF are they talking about? I don’t know where they get that idea from. OK, so maybe I have been known to throw a “BRB,” “LOL,” or “OMG,” into conversation, but whatev. I can still read and write! Read More »
Q: As I sit here writing this, I’m confused at every feeling I am possibly feeling.. I have this “friend” we will call Fred. I had the biggest crush on Fred, even though he has a kid (this just makes me a bit uneasy, I’m only 21. I don’t want to be tied down like that if things did progress, but I regress.) I liked him, but he never seemed to initiate anything, but via texts he was flirty.
Two or three months went by and I was in a relationship that abruptly ended. Since nothing had progressed with Fred I felt like he was just a platonic friend and vented to him. He was amazingly supportive and said everything I wanted to hear (i.e. he was a real jerk, I don’t know what you ever saw in him, you deserve better, yadda yadda…). Well this kind of opened my eyes to Fred more and I developed a bit of a crush on him again.
He started coming over to my apartment to watch our favorite tv show. The first time we did this, we made out, things started getting intense and I ended it. He came over again and we made out again, but my roommate was here, so nothing else happened. When he left, we kissed and he promised he’d call and come pick me up the next day.
His plans changed, so we didn’t get together (but he had a good excuse, if that matters), then the next day I sent him a text and he responded, but not as quickly as he normally did. Now comes today, I didn’t text him to see if he would text me and he hasn’t. Am I being paranoid or is he trying to shoo me off?
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times – while the holidays are upon us, so is the end of the semester. And this week was a mixed bag of excitement (shopping!) and dread (studying!) for the season.
On the upside, there are definitely several things to look forward to, like our NCAA National Football Championship airline ticket giveaway, and a couple more items on the to-do list before the ball drops on 2009. Of course, if you’re looking for that perfect gift, perhaps a personal DIY project will do just the trick. Getting dolled up a la Twilight stars and pole-dancing for fitness are two of our new fave ways to look hot.
And when it comes to staying warm this season, there’s nothing like a little personal company. Whether you did the dirty with your first serious significant other or it led to a walk of shame, we’re all looking for some body heat to get us through the winter. We discussed the benefits of getting down with the game playa or the honest boy, and the scandalous new phenomenon of “sexting.” Regardless of who, when, or how often you’re hooking up, one thing is for certain: ladies are definitely getting some for themselves these days.
If all of that doesn’t help you through the end of finals, at least take these tips for saving your grades and stick around next week for more CollegeCandy fun!
[Click HERE to read the first installment. Seriously…it’s worth it…)
After he walked me to the door of his apartment, I was left to walk of shame it on home. Which was about seventy blocks away. The problem with this building was, I couldn’t navigate it. And so wound up getting off on the wrong floor and taking the first exit I found, trying to leave gracefully.
As soon as I left the elevator, I realized that this was not the right way out. To the doors I went anyway, but then… Click. I was locked in the vestibule. Too late. I sighed and opened the main door to go into a courtyard. Fine. I could see the street beyond the other apartment buildings in the complex.
But why was there a construction barricade in the way of the stairs? Read More »
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