911 Texting Research Paper

Texting -- trading written messages over cellphones and other devices -- is changing the way people communicate, (Janet). Editor Debra Nussbaum writes in an article from the Philadelphia Inquirer that by the early 2000’s Americans sent more than two trillion texts a year, by 2007, texting had exceeded phone calls by a long shot. This has definitely made a huge difference in the way people communicate with each other. To get a letter in the mail is pretty rare today especially knowing that a text will reach a loved one tout de suite. This is most definitely the generation of instant gratification and having no patience, however, that can be a good thing in certain situations. Emergencies are also being relayed instantaneously as well along
Adults are jumping on the band wagon to stay in contact with their kids, who are most likely only going to communicate in a timely manner via text. There are many good things that have come out of texting, but as usual with all good things there can be downsides. Last year, David Miller, administrator of Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said 911 text messaging will spread around the state and that texting is one fundamental tool in the next generation of communication with 911. In today’s society, texting is a part of our culture, and even though there are many situations where texting has proven fatal, in a situation like this one, texting has proven to be a more effective and safe way to communicate. Originally 911 texting was promoted for the hearing impaired and people with speech impairments but has recently come in handy in situations where communication with 911 needs to be quiet. If a homeowner’s house was being broken into they could text 911 instead of calling and avoid putting them in a more dangerous situation, like being heard by
A newspaper source said one college chose to use what’s called “JANET txt” to stay closer and keep in touch with the students in “their own language”. By doing this the college has made it easier to get ahold of students to inform them about papers due or class schedule changes or emergencies on campus. Paul Taylor, Network and Corporate Data Manager at Gateway Sixth Form College explains, "On one occasion, the college had to close when our water supply was cut off, and we sent texts early the next morning when the supply was restored to tell students that the college was re-opening…", (Gateway Sixth Form College). These notifications are a lot easier way to communicate with busy college students and are being used by more than just colleges, today many cell phone companies will text you a notification letting you know your cell phone bill is due or if you’ve gone over your minutes. "They 're promoting phone text messaging plans that allow families hundreds of messages, or unlimited use each month", (Leonard). These unlimited usage of minutes gives teens and adults as much text time as they could want causing people to become more dependent on their phones. Unlimited usage might not be such a bad thing when it comes to parents knowing where their children are when they are with their friends or have an important message to relay to them