Sexuality
Flirting With Your Cell Phone
Sandra Prior asked: Since its inception in the UK in 1992, the short message service (SMS) phenomenon has literally revolutionized communication. It’s cheap, convenient and accessible to anyone with a cellular phone. Gone are the days of expensive phone calls or unreliable emails. Just punch a few buttons and your message is instantly delivered. The traditional limits of distance, time and price are almost eliminated.The Global System for Mobile (GSM) Communications Association recently announced that around nine billion SMSs are sent over the world’s GSM wireless networks every month. That’s a lot of chit-chat. But special days, like Valentine’s Day, and holidays, tend to generate significantly more traffic.SMS also provides ‘romantic technophiles’ with a modem way to express emotions. So for those still battling to come to terms with the concept, don’t panic. Follow the tips below and you’ll soon transform from a virginal techno-nobody into an SMS femme fatale.Back to BasicsYour standard SMS is 160 characters long and is typed in the ‘Write Message’ function on your cell phone. You may have to set up your phone for it first. Press ‘Send’ and your message travels worldwide via GSM wireless networks to the recipient’s cell phone. It’s cheap compared [...]
Computing – the Costs of Technology
Sandra Prior asked: Britain’s Prince William Allegedly finalized his split with fancied future queen Kate Middleton by cell phone, and it was to their cells and to Facebook that students at Virginia Tech University in the US turned to check whether friends were among the casualties in the campus shooting last year.There’s no doubt technology has revolutionized our lives. But what has it done to our psyches?The NegativesWhile the practical benefits of technology are undeniable, the personal costs can be high – especially when you’re young and have yet to develop socially. When you learn to communicate mostly through SMS or online, you don’t learn to pick up nonverbal cues from eye contact, posture and gestures. These can give vital clues to what others are feeling and thinking, and without them it’s easy to misunderstand – and be misunderstood. You are left constantly worrying about how to decipher intentions, often with good cause.That’s one of the drawbacks of online dating. Think about what happens when you meet someone for the first time. You’re aware of the energy the person radiates. You are encouraged to remain in someone’s presence by what they are not saying – their gestures, voice inflections and [...]
