Facebook vs. Text
Throughout the
past decade, Social Media has become our main source of
communication for both the young and the older
generation. Social networking has
become the primary way to keep in touch with close
friends or new acquaintances living
next door or throughout the world. A recent survey
conducted by the L.A. Times asked 10
participants what social media network they’d prefer to
use Facebook or Texting. The
participants range in ages 18 through 50 all were
asked the same questions.
Purpose
According to
the study, Texting is a more intimate, one-on-one method of
communicating with people. For example, if you are on the go or simply cannot
make a
call because you’re in a situation where it would be
unacceptable to talk on the phone; maybe
you are in a meeting, a doctor’s appointment, or any
place where talking aloud could be a
distraction to others, you can always text. In other instances, texting might just be a
cure for
boredom and a chance to catch up with a friend. Texting is a form of asking the person you
are
connecting with for a quick or “as soon as possible” response, without actually making a phone
call. Like participant Jacklynn Smith wrote, “It can be quick
and convenient” or Robin Pico, “Light
conversations
quick!” The
duration of a texted conversation can be as quick as a few minutes
or can last hours depending on the subjects and time
available for both parties. On the negative
side of texting during the study, it was found that
users of texting are losing there grammar
skills from spelling to punctuation as mention by
participant Karen
Neuhaus, “I hate having to
go
back when words are spelled wrong, to time consuming. Using spell check doesn’t
get
everything
right”. The intervals in-between text
was also a cause of concern as mentioned by
Illah
Schalles, “The lag between texts can make conversations confusing”
Facebook
is a more diverse way to communicate. Unlike texting, Facebook has
more features allowing you to create a user profile,
also known as a Facebook page. After
creating a profile, you have the option of allowing
other “users” to see your profile depending
on your security/ privacy settings. Once you have allowed “friends” to view your
Facebook
page, you can communicate by posting what you desire
on your face book page. Jacklynn
Smith
writes, “it’s a great way for me to keep in contact
with my family out of state, and
country
and see what’s going on in their lives”.
All your “friends” will be able to see
only what
you want them to see. Like texting, Facebook has a
messaging feature that allows you to hold a
one-on-one conversation in the form of texting. In addition, Facebook also has the option to
make a private phone call with a friend via their
site. In turn, something that many user do not
like about face book is the lack of privacy. Jorge Alvarado writes, “Facebook is too public and
it
expose you un-professionally. People with professional careers should avoid it”.
Audience
Communicating
via text is a more intimate form of conversing with friends, or
whomever it is you choose to text. For instance
texting your girlfriend, “Hi honey, how is your
day going?” By
texting that alone, your girlfriend will instantly know that you were thinking
of
her in that specific moment, instantly bringing a
smile to her face. You can also text a simple
“what you doing” to a friend to check and see what he
is up to. In both cases, if the person is
available and can reply, a conversation will begin.
Communicating
via Facebook on the other hand, can be a lot different in many ways.
Mainly in that it allows you to notify all friends
about what you are doing, have done, or will
be doing later. You can wake up in the morning and
post on your profile “Good morning
everyone, hope you all have a good day.” That post
will be shared with all of your friends on
Facebook. Illah Schalles explains it best, “I enjoy the ease
of sharing special moments and
events
with friends and family both local and distant.” It
is more a forum to put thoughts out
for others to see and vice-versa than to carry on
conversations; however, a post may lead to.
Source & Upload
When communicating via text you have the ability to send pictures,
images, videos,
memes, and music and insert attachments as described
by Nina Hirales,
“I enjoy that I get to
send
pictures, and emoji’s faces”. The
only requirement is a cell phone with a cellular service
plan. It is as simple and convenient as that. Internet
access is not required.
When
communicating via Facebook you can all also upload pictures, memes, videos,
music, images, and attach links but with much more
space - up to one gigabyte. In addition,
there is also an application or “app” that can be
uploaded to your cell phone, making it much
easier and faster to use Facebook (versus utilizing
your personal computer or laptop). To
use
Facebook, you are required to have an internet
connection. Without internet, you cannot use
Facebook. If you have cell phone service you must have
internet connection as well.
Conclusion
Both
Texting and Facebook are useful forms of social media that allow people to
network staying in touch with others. Although
Facebook offers more options, the
survey
concluded that 8 out of 10 participants preferred to text instead of using
Facebook.
Facebook and
texting are phenomenal and enjoyed by many.
No more than fifteen years ago,
we would not have imaged communicating would be so
simple and immediate; by pressing
send, within seconds people around the world share
their thoughts and best of all, both medias
can be accessed from the palm of your hand.
