More Stupidity In SMS/Text Messaging

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/rss/13312812.htm?source=rss&amp;channel=mercurynews_rss">http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/rss/13312812.htm?source=rss&amp;channel=mercurynews_rss</a><br /><br />Earlier this week <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/index.php?action=expand,44615">we told you about someone </a>that was killed because a driver was busy text messaging instead of paying attention. Well, now text messaging has gone from accidental injury to intending to kill someone. :? <br /><br /><i>"A 16-year-old Santa Teresa High School student was arrested after police said he sent text messages to a teenage girl threatening to kill her and her friends at Orchard Elementary School."</i><br /><br />People, people, people... sigh... :roll:

[ironguy]

Man oh man! I used to live 2 blocks from Santa Teresa high. My daughter went there. What's the world coming to... 8O

Why send a text for ten cents when you can call for free? :?:

[Jon Westfall]

I don't know if it's appropriate, but the first thing that came to my mind was: How stupid is it to put into writing (or computer) a threat that can't be verified if it's made in person.

I guess if SMS contributes to people getting stupider about their crimes, thus getting caught before they can commit them, then some good is coming out of it.

[shindullin]

Sadly, kids are even less concerned over whether the message is free or costs money than they are about whether the their threats might be taken seriously and they might get arrested.
BTW, Santa Theresa High, not soo good anymore. Demographics have changed in that area significantly the past 10 years or so.

[JimPAQ]

I'm sure no one will agree with me, but I think it all comes down to bad parenting. My son would never use his phone for something like that, because...

- He would lose his phone for the rest of his life.
- He would be grounded for the rest of his life.
- He would not be able to set down for the rest of his life.
- He simply isn't dumb enough to think that something like that is acceptable.

This is how his parents have raised him. My guess is, this is not how that kids parents have raised him.

- Jim

[Phillip Dyson]

I don't know if it's appropriate, but the first thing that came to my mind was: How stupid is it to put into writing (or computer) a threat that can't be verified if it's made in person.

I guess if SMS contributes to people getting stupider about their crimes, thus getting caught before they can commit them, then some good is coming out of it.

I'm with you. I guess I'm prone to contemplate the darkside from time to time too.

Not that intelligence is age specific, but I'm inclined to believe that the youth just didn't think the whole thing through.

Or maybe he's stupid. I don't have all the facts. :devilboy:

[Pdaholic]

I'm sure no one will agree with me, but I think it all comes down to bad parenting. My son would never use his phone for something like that, because...

- He would lose his phone for the rest of his life.
- He would be grounded for the rest of his life.
- He would not be able to set down for the rest of his life.
- He simply isn't dumb enough to think that something like that is acceptable.

This is how his parents have raised him. My guess is, this is not how that kids parents have raised him.

- Jim

Yeah, gotta agree here. By 16, a kid should know that threats to kill another, no matter how serious they may be, are wrong. I remember my parents warning me about making threats and how you could be arrested for that type of talk. I remember always being careful regarding what statements I made to my enemies. Parents do indeed make big impacts on kids lives and how they turn out!

Of course, some kids are just rotten... :twisted:

[jimwilliams]

JimPAQ - I totally agree with you! We raised our two boys that way and now that they are adults (one is 33 and the other is 30), we are very proud of both of them. Very nice, honest, hard working, young men and a pleasure to be with. There were times when they were growing up that I could not have said that. But, I believe that God is faithful in His promise about bringing children up according to his word. As we have been told many times by our friends and neighbors, "The prof is in the pudden." - Jim Williams - "Spare the rod and spoil the child." BTW, we all love computers and PDA's!

[SteveHoward999]

This is too funny.

You all are complaining at how stupid the kid was to use the phone .... how about having a go at the little turd for being so awful in the first place???


:-)

[lapchinj]

...Why send a text for ten cents when you can call for free? :?:
I think that the kids today (and many older people) after reading about corporate and governmental spendings in the billions and trillions really can't equate 10cents with 'real' money. I even noticed lately that the jingle from Chock Full of Nuts coffee that I heard as a kid where the words '...a millionairs money can't buy' has been upgraded to '... a billionairs money can't buy'. If a 16 year old (or anyone) can afford $30+ a month for a cell phone then what's 10 cents all about? Is that real money? Besides he/she doesn't have to drop the 10 cents into the coin slot so the charge is not even noticed until the bill comes at the end of month. An even then the individual charges might not be looked at. So the SMS message was for all intent and purposed free :? .

Besides I don't think that kids making those threats really realize that they can be held responsible for their actions. So they just get more stupid about how they go about making those threats. It's just that older people take very seriously these stupidities today especially after seeing, hearing or reading about some of the horrors commited by children.

It's very scary to think about what's going through some very young peoples minds.

Jeff-

[lapchinj]

... By 16, a kid should know that threats to kill another, no matter how serious they may be, are wrong...
I think that most kids do realize that. Unfortunately not everyone does and that's why so many people are in jail. The world is not a perfect place. If it were then the top news on any TV channel would be the new digital x42000EVDc22 with the latest SP14 PDA/Smartphone running both the palmOS and open source WindowsCE in the newest Carumba Linux distro :mrgreen: and not who gets to become the 1000th person to be executed.

Jeff-