TOP TEXTING RESOLUTIONS FOR 2011

                        New Year's resolutions come in all forms.  Some may involve money or grades, while others affect different aspects of behavior, such as being more positive or becoming more helpful.
                        Recently, a new type of resolution has taken center stage: texting resolutions.
                        For 2011, many teens would like to change the way they text.  The social messaging app textPlus recently surveyed 775 teens ages 13 through 17 to find out what resolutions involving texting they'd be willing to make.
                        According to the survey, "32 percent said they'd attempt to use correct spelling in their messages," "45 percent said they would respond faster to text messages in 2011" and "26 percent said they wanted to text more than call in the New Year."
                        These staticsfascinate me in so many ways.  Teens need to make resolutionsinvolving texting?  These resolutions didn't even exist three years ago.  Our country is becoming so technologically dependent that we now have to limit the amount of texting we do.
                         I agree with the first resolution because it is a shame that we reserve proper grammar for a school setting instead of practicing it outside of the classroom, as well.  Vocabulary and grammer skills are vital in so many ways and it's upsetting we don't use them more often.
                         Responding faster also makes sense, because a fast response time shows a friend or family member how much you care.
                         However, I still can't fathom why some teens would rather text than call.
                         Texting is fun, but I have found it is much easier to communicate through a call than a text.  It is so comforting to hear a voice on the other end instead of typing away, hoping the receiver gets to the text message in time.
                         Other resolutions mentioned in the survey were "text less during movies," "text more in class," "get faster at texting" and "hide texts from parents."
                          The last resolution worries me the most.  Why would anyone feel the need to hide a text message from a parent when parents are usually the ones who pay for the text messages?  I would never hide anything from my parents, because I know that if it is something bad, they will find out eventually.  I would hope that teensfeel safe enough to talk to a parent about an uncomfortable situation without the need to hide anything or feel embarrassed.
                          "Text more in class" also worries me.  How is that even a resolution?  Teachers work hard to put assignments together and give students the resources they need to learn.  If you are busy texting during class and not paying attention, you could miss something very important.  Texting during class is by far the biggest insult you can give to a teacher.
                          "Text less during movies" is understandable, because if you aren't allowed to make phone calls during movies, why would you be allowed to send a text message?  I would like to adopt this as a resolution, since I often find myself texting away when a movie is playing.
                          "Get faster at texting" is something we all could work on.  The faster you are at texting, the more time you have to accomplish other tasks like chores, or watching that must-see last episode of "Millionaire Matchmaker" on your DVR.