Today new technologies connect our world more than ever. As an embrace of cultural differences and an ongoing reevaluation of how we share our lives with one another, new communication is reinventing our society. Younger generations thrive in a vast digital landscape, older generations wade through conflicts of ritual belief, and we have all seen an overabundance of communicative systems to manage. In our society, cell phones are becoming the primary form of communication for young people. Building a dialogue surrounding new media systems will enhance our observation as the cell phone changes from a practical device to a ritual part of our lives. As children practice new forms of communication made available by cell phones, they are learning how simultaneously to develop and maintain interpersonal relationships face-to-face and online. New media devices are becoming more and more appealing to children. Educators and parents' understanding of their children's uses and comprehension of cell phones lags behind the children's practices. This study helps further the discussion about what we assume children think of, and what children actually say, about texting on cell phones as a method of communicating.
","abstract_html":"<p>Today new technologies connect our world more than ever. As an embrace of cultural differences and an ongoing reevaluation of how we share our lives with one another, new communication is reinventing our society. Younger generations thrive in a vast digital landscape, older generations wade through conflicts of ritual belief, and we have all seen an overabundance of communicative systems to manage. In our society, cell phones are becoming the primary form of communication for young people. Building a dialogue surrounding new media systems will enhance our observation as the cell phone changes from a practical device to a ritual part of our lives. As children practice new forms of communication made available by cell phones, they are learning how simultaneously to develop and maintain interpersonal relationships face-to-face and online. New media devices are becoming more and more appealing to children. Educators and parents' understanding of their children's uses and comprehension of cell phones lags behind the children's practices. This study helps further the discussion about what we assume children think of, and what children actually say, about texting on cell phones as a method of communicating.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Smith, Timothy S."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS) in Communication Studies","degree_level":"Thesis: EWU Only","degree_discipline":"Communication Studies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Gary Krug","Helen Bergland","Martin Meraz-Garcia"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2013-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:13:35Z","subjects":["Interpersonal communication--Technological innovations--Social aspects","Text messaging (Cell phone systems)","Cell phones--Social aspects","Social interaction--Technological innovations","Critical and Cultural Studies","Interpersonal and Small Group Communication","Social Media"],"languages":[],"rights":["Access perpetually restricted to EWU users with an active EWU NetID"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dc.ewu.edu/theses/253","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Gary Krug","Helen Bergland","Martin Meraz-Garcia"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Smith, Timothy S."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Communication Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis: EWU Only"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS) in Communication Studies"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Interpersonal communication--Technological innovations--Social aspects","Text messaging (Cell phone systems)","Cell phones--Social aspects","Social interaction--Technological innovations","Critical and Cultural Studies","Interpersonal and Small Group Communication","Social Media"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Access perpetually restricted to EWU users with an active EWU NetID"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dc.ewu.edu/theses/253"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Today new technologies connect our world more than ever. As an embrace of cultural differences and an ongoing reevaluation of how we share our lives with one another, new communication is reinventing our society. Younger generations thrive in a vast digital landscape, older generations wade through conflicts of ritual belief, and we have all seen an overabundance of communicative systems to manage. In our society, cell phones are becoming the primary form of communication for young people. Building a dialogue surrounding new media systems will enhance our observation as the cell phone changes from a practical device to a ritual part of our lives. As children practice new forms of communication made available by cell phones, they are learning how simultaneously to develop and maintain interpersonal relationships face-to-face and online. New media devices are becoming more and more appealing to children. Educators and parents' understanding of their children's uses and comprehension of cell phones lags behind the children's practices. This study helps further the discussion about what we assume children think of, and what children actually say, about texting on cell phones as a method of communicating.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Texting, self, and society"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Gary Krug","Helen Bergland","Martin Meraz-Garcia"],"dc:creator":["Smith, Timothy S."],"dc:description.abstract":["Today new technologies connect our world more than ever. As an embrace of cultural differences and an ongoing reevaluation of how we share our lives with one another, new communication is reinventing our society. Younger generations thrive in a vast digital landscape, older generations wade through conflicts of ritual belief, and we have all seen an overabundance of communicative systems to manage. In our society, cell phones are becoming the primary form of communication for young people. Building a dialogue surrounding new media systems will enhance our observation as the cell phone changes from a practical device to a ritual part of our lives. As children practice new forms of communication made available by cell phones, they are learning how simultaneously to develop and maintain interpersonal relationships face-to-face and online. New media devices are becoming more and more appealing to children. Educators and parents' understanding of their children's uses and comprehension of cell phones lags behind the children's practices. This study helps further the discussion about what we assume children think of, and what children actually say, about texting on cell phones as a method of communicating.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dc.ewu.edu/theses/253"],"dc:rights":["Access perpetually restricted to EWU users with an active EWU NetID"],"dc:subject":["Interpersonal communication--Technological innovations--Social aspects","Text messaging (Cell phone systems)","Cell phones--Social aspects","Social interaction--Technological innovations","Critical and Cultural Studies","Interpersonal and Small Group Communication","Social Media"],"dc:title":["Texting, self, and society"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Communication Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis: EWU Only"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS) in Communication Studies"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:13:35Z"}