## Step 5 - Speaking

Discussion about texting
You have read an article about text messages. Now you are going to discuss about it. You might want to read the article again to prepare yourself for the discussion.

Text messaging, or texting, is the act of composing and sending electronic messages, typically consisting of alphabetic and numeric characters, between two or more users of mobile phones, tablets, desktops/laptops, or other devices. The term originally referred to messages sent using the Short Message Service (SMS). Young people now text so much they hardly ever talk to each other. Children and teenagers are much more likely to tap out a text than actually pick up their phone and call someone, research has shown. Texting has more than doubled since March 2002, and it's still rising. Some of the most common reasons to text someone are to send a greeting or flirt. More than eight out of 10 young people admitted they preferred texting to actually speaking to friends and family. But only 14 per cent of people over the age of 55 said they chose texting over speaking. As of 2017, text messages are used by youth and adults for personal, family and social purposes and in business. As with emailing, in the 2010s, the sending of short informal messages has become an accepted part of many cultures. This makes texting a quick and easy way to communicate with friends and colleagues, including in contexts where a call would be impolite or inappropriate (e.g., calling very late at night or when one knows the other person is busy with family or work activities). Like e-mail and voice mail, and unlike calls (in which the caller hopes to speak directly with the recipient), texting does not require the caller and recipient to both be free at the same moment; this permits communication even between busy individuals. Source: CBBC Newsround en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Text_messaging

Discuss the following questions in your group:

- Do you think the article is true?
- Why? Why not?
- What have your learnt about texting from this article?

What are the advantages or disadvantages of texting?