During a busy weekend filled with events, I was glued to my phone while arranging rides, discussing gifts and alerting others of why I was so MIA, all through text messaging of course. Texting is a common phone activity that keeps my fingers in shape when not dancing all over my laptop’s keyboard. However, instant communication through text has definitely caused me to become quite impatient, which leads to this Sunday’s slang, “textpectation.”
“Textpectation” refers to the “anticipation one feels when waiting for a response to a text message.” If you are a serial texter, then you are quite familiar with “texpectation,” as you constantly check your phone and run when you hear the beep, ring or feel the vibration. If you still have held on to a bit of your sanity and not fallen victim to text anxiety, then you’re quite lucky. The art of patience has truly lost its battle in this form of communication.
It’s hard to believe that I actually communicated often via snail mail with friends. However, I can still recall the long awaited excitement when the letter from my pen pal would appear on my kitchen table. Yes, a pen pal, do you remember them? The relationship one could build with a pen pal was deep and sincere, as a result of thought out, lengthy letters. Textpals, well, they’re a different breed. Instant communication gives us immediate access to the person, but the fast pace writing form has possibly eliminated the slow and steady thought process of a letter. The pieces of paper stained with pen were often filled with hopes, dreams and emotions, in addition to the bits and pieces about life that can be found in a few texts.
“Textpectation” makes reference to a certain excitement, but also is a comment on the anxiety and impatience that is slowly building in society. I don’t even want to know what disorder “textpectation” will lead to years later, as the younger generations are ridden with anxiety and minor breakdowns when cell service is patchy.
So the next time you’re waiting for a text, eliminate your “textpectation” just by taking a moment to breathe.
image courtesy of kamshots
Tagged: anxiety, instant communication, letter, pen pal, slang, slanguage, texpectation, text, texting, the word