It would seem that the advancement in technology would make communication a lot simpler between parents and children, but instead it seems to be creating a huge gap in the way parents and children now communicate with each other. In an article for the NewYork Times by Roni Caryn Rabin titled "What Cellphone Calls say about Parent-Teenager Relationships" it focuses on how the dynamic between a parent and teenager changes once a cellphone is added into the equation. By adding the cellphone a different form of communication is created called texting. While children born in the 21st century look at texting as a main source of communication their parents who were mostly born during the baby boom era now have to learn this new way of communication in order to relate to their children.
While a parent may want to have a vocal conversation with their child, the child is instead distracted by the power of texting. So how does one fix this communication mishap? The New York Times published an article by Ken Belson that focused on how Cingular Wireless is trying to bridge this gap between parents and children. Cingular Wireless is launching a programs that will teach more parents how to text so that they will be able to communicate with their children on a more common level . The article also highlights how phone companies are making it cheaper to text by adding texting to family phone plans. Now no one in the family will have to pay ten cents per texts; this change done by phone companies was a great incentive to make parents want to learn how to text.
“It’s about, ‘Do you realize this is how your kids communicate with their friends?’ ” Sometimes, younger people are more likely to say ‘text me.’ ” said by Cristy Swink the executive director for text messaging at Cingular Wireless. I find his words to be very true because I find myself asking my mother to text me instead of calling me because its an easier way to communicate. I take time out of my day to teach my mother how to text and use acronyms so that I can speak to her throughout the day therefore allowing us to have a relationship.
I think what most parents fear is that they will lean this new way of life and their children may still choose not to respond and communicate with them. This can be very true. Laura M. Holson wrote a piece for The New York time titled Texting Generation Gap: U R 2 Old (JK) which touched on the idea that children might not respond their parents learning how to text automatically but it's still a great thing for parents to know. The article explained how the phone company AT&T has a tutorial to teach parents about acronyms so that they will understand their children's lingo and won't be out the loop. It also stressed how phone companies notice this gap in communication between parents and their children. The goal of phone companies is to find a way to close this gap.
Parents may feel they are too old to learn how to text but in a world now where texting is becoming a new form of communication I think it's imperative that all parents learn how to text. If not for their sake then the sake of communicating with their children better.