Like my baby ready to leave home for the coding boot camp five years ago, I was worried that his communication would not match my changing needs. I didn’t want to confuse Justin (not his real name) but I needed to know that he was fine living a thousand miles away. Before leaving, I asked him to send me a weekly text message, email, or text message. Justin chose text messages.
The use of short notes is not uncommon. Folded notes flowed like sticks across lines of students who had not been interested for generations. Then, almost all night long, handwritten notes were replaced with electronic messages. Group activities, tours, lists, and countless changes go faster, longer, and more frequently via word-for-word. Texting is the most widely used interface on a smartphone, so it is not surprising that Justin chose this method of communication.
When I saw him at the airport security with a backpack and no bag to carry, I was encouraged to know that I was receiving a follow-up message and weekly updates. Over time, the preparation of interviews and essays for the first project was sold to provide a brief overview of the garden and families, while exercise, diet, and epidemic news spread to both sides. Justin took a plane home, and my husband and I visited, but my son’s scriptures were as important as the visits — for me. Over the years, we have been sharing much in writing if we have been able to discuss each week.
Texting asynchronous culture is a key factor in its effectiveness. Glen Morgan, a retired medical and ethical researcher at the National Institutes of Health, says texting is good for those who are too busy with work, school, or family to add to the conversation, or actually, their day. Both should not be present for verbal communication. It is better to respond if time allows than to interrupt a conversation on the phone.
Notes are short in nature, which are some of the extras for those who live busy lives. Morgan says texting is a great way to reach out to a time-consuming competition; texters are highly connected because of their efforts. He added, “Records can be very effective with 30 seconds or just one minute of practice, unlike phones where the waiting time is longer.” Very few phones are less than a minute or two, but most messages are short.
Eric Cardwell, a personal assistant and family therapist, said that people need to be more in love. “FMRI studies show that pain areas in the brain have less activity during social interactions,” he says. The fellowship of that culture as well helps reduce stress and depression. You can make these connections in a number of ways, such as touch, voice, and voice. Cardwell sums up the benefits of word communication in a nutshell, “the content does not have to be long enough for communication to be great.”
Morgan noted that one of the benefits of having a practice of texting is that it avoids stress. It can be stressful to be a regular initiator, even when texting. Justin and I fell in the way of communication very quickly. At first I texted all week, but Justin kept the same note Sunday evening. I found the answer every week, and we have been doing this ever since.