Baby Naming Texting Changes Parents Choices: A Direct Effect of Technology

A baby changes everything in a home, but first, you have to get the baby home from the hospital, and part of that process is naming baby- and guess what, shocking as it might seem in our modern age, even that process is changing.

Fox News reported this morning that this is being used in parents naming their children along the lines of texting. [1] You becomes U, for text messaging folks, that's sensible, you cut the amount of text, UCTAMTTXT, or something like it, and as all things used in cellular develop, [2] so is this, and it is developing into baby names that are being changed. [3]

The reduced and phonic names sound like the familiar text style, GR8 NU NMS, it is strange seeming at first, but after we take a few minutes, it makes sense, technology fits into our lives and why wouldn't this use of the texting style come into the arena of baby names with people who use the text messaging a great deal? [4]

The old argument about environment versus genes [5] may be getting yet another set of data from this, if it was just genes, where are the DNA located for text messaging? In TXTTLK this would be N8TRNRTR? [6] On the other hand, those who claim it is just environment might miss the fact that a person has to learn to text, it isn't an instinctive behavior such as eating to survive. [7]

Based on the rise in cell phone use, one might conjecture that it is somehow tied into our DNA, and while it is a stretch, try this one out, what if communication between us as people is encoded, and because cell phones help that take place, they are...ready for this, genetically a part of our action? [8] Who is to say that when genes were put into the process there isn't some tie in such as this? [9]

For many of us the concept of texting hasn't caught on yet, we don't use it for work, and don't have to rely on it for business, so it is not a factor in our lives, we still use live conversation, so abbreviated terms aren't a part of our vocabulary. It does make sense to take into account, however, that there are those who do use texting on a minute by minute basis as part of what they do, and it is very much a part of their lives, therefore, doesn't it make perfect sense for them to be at ease with the language? [10]

Cell communications are changing the way our lives are playing out, they are providing a level of sure communication that hasn't existed before, and they provide a mobile and free form of communicating which allows for an increase in pace of all aspects of our lives. [11] This is such a good thing for us that we sometimes don't stop and think about the power that cellular brings to the table of our existence, when communicating becomes so essential to us, and yet, so non-essential in nature? How many cell calls do you make which aren't necessary information? When it comes to texting, how many text messages are a simple process of ongoing information that isn't event changing or business impact in nature, yet take place? [12] Should the important questions about our existence in the future where communications are of such a free and fast nature be put on some back burner of social science examination simply because they are complicated? You and I might want to rethink what we are looking at, and how important it actually is, as people name their babies on behalf of a technological device and function.

References:

1. Cellular Development: http://ezinearticles.com/?Cell-Phones:-Text-Messaging-as-a-Second-Language&id=382910

1a. Baby names inspired by text messaging: http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world-news/sms-language-sparks-off-unusually-spelt-baby-names-trend_10024677.html

2. Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/index.html

3. Strange seeming: http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2006-11-13-text-speak_x.htm

4. Increase in use: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/research/cm/icmr07/

5. Environment or genes: http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/jones.html

6. Nature or nurture: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/genome/debate.html

7. Learned behavior: http://wilderdom.com/personality/L4-1IntelligenceNatureVsNurture.html

8. Communicating in our genes: http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/163/10/1683

9. Memetics and genes: http://www.spectacle.org/1095/meme.html

10. Cell phone use adapting: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/dec/26/schools_adapt_increased_text_messaging_cell_phone_/

11. Use of cell phones non-essential: http://tuberose.com/Cell_Phones.html

12. Non essential use: http://www.echeat.com/essay.php?t=26305