By HEATHER BAUGHMAN
baughman@crescent-news.com
Idk how 2 txt, but 16-year-old Jody Sheldon of Defiance is a pro. In fact, last month, a whopping 9,500 texts were reported on her monthly cell phone bill... which is one reason why the family switched from their regular cell phone plan to one with unlimited texting for an additional $20.
Now that summer is here, Sheldon's texting has skyrocketed. During the school year, she said she averaged about 2,000 texts a month ... annually she figures she can type an astounding 30,000 messages on her cell phone.
Today's cell phone society has gone way beyond the initial "emergency" phone of 15-20 years ago.
Cryptic letters, numbers and signs that may resemble hieroglyphics and seem indecipherable, are commonplace for many people today. u c, dis msg got ur attn, right? (You see, this message got your attention, right?)
Text messaging has become just as popular and common place as using a cell phone.
According to CTIA, the international association for the wireless telecommunications industry, in December 2007, 48.1 billion monthly short message service (SMS) messages were sent, compared to a mere 9.8 billion in December 2005 and 14.4 million in December 2000.
When she started texting, Sheldon did not have a cellular plan that allowed for unlimited texting. Instead, she was charged for each text she sent and received.
"Two summers ago I got a cell phone and figured out how to (text)," she explained.
Much to her parents' surprise was her first phone bill ... with a whopping $120 in text messaging charges.
But Sheldon wasn't let off the hook. Instead, she got a job, working at Cravings, and put most of her paychecks toward her texting bills. At the end of the summer she did have some money left over, but most of it went to pay her phone bill.
"Now we pay $20 a month for unlimited texting," said Ivan Duerk, Sheldon's stepdad, who does limited texting himself. He admitted that to texting short messages, such as "yes" and "no," but that's about the extent of his texting addiction.
Sheldon's mother, on the other hand, has grown quite fond of texting. "I do text now," Shannon Duerk said, "but who taught me how?" she asked, staring straight at her daughter.
Shannon Duerk's texting skills were honed one weekend last year when she took a group of church kids to a convention. Kids were sending her text messages to her, but "I didn't know how to open them," she admitted. But after a some lessons from Sheldon, Shannon could hold her own. "I know the basics," she said. But deciphering some of Sheldon's message are a bit more difficult. "I've seen her messages. They're like cryptic," he mom said.
As a pro texter (last week she was blindfolded and was able to find a random contact in her phone -- no problem), Sheldon did say that there is a down-side to texting. "If the towers go down," and there's no signal, that's a problem.
Her mother testified to that statement. "Whenever she doesn't have service she freaks out," Shannon said.
By the way, Idk how 2 txt means "I don't know how to text,"... but I'm learning.
Cul8r. (See you later.)