The Texting Paradigm

            As you walk around one of the large shopping malls in Qatar, like the Villagio Mall or the City Center Mall, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a bunch of teenagers with walking with their heads bowed down, cradling something in their hands. If I didn’t know better, I would think that they were praying. But I do know better. Those teenagers are texting. They are connected to their friends who are miles away through a continuous exchange of information, no matter how insignificant.

            It is not uncommon to see a group of teenagers walking and texting without a word being uttered to each other. This confuses my understanding of the group dynamics. The “texters,” engrossed in their Blackberries occasionally look up only to see where they are walking and almost completely ignore each other except to decide on what movie to watch. Texting has become a dangerous game, at least in some cases that is. An increasing number of people text while driving and I would be lying if I said I didn't do it myself on more than one occasion.

            I myself use a Blackberry device. I find myself relying on the Broadcast messages that one person sends out to get my fix of the interesting things happening around me. Personally, I find these messages to be more valid than word-of-mouth communication. It is an underlying feeling that since this message was sent out to a number of people at the same time, it must be valid.

            With the modern technological innovations, word-of-mouth communication is evolving into the digital realm. Human beings are leaving an ever-increasing digital footprint. With more means of digital communication available at a lesser price and higher convenience, the people have gotten used to the information overload. They are constantly on the look out for more outlets to share their information, with social media networks fulfilling that need. 

            Taking a step back we observe a chicken and egg situation (albeit not so philosophical)–is the need for more means of sharing information creating the online world of social media or is the introduction of online media creating a need to share more information? 

Can We Breathe Without Our “BB”?

We see blackberries everywhere; people are unbelievably addicted to their blackberries. The question here is, what’s the reason behind this? Blackberry messenger is probably the main answer to this question. The blackberry messenger is a social chat with all friends and family or whomever you choose to add to your list.
There are many features incorporated in your blackberry. You can download social interaction websites. Websites like Facebook or Twitter. Not only do people ‘BBM’ which means the blackberry messenger, but also they tweet and go on Facebook to check updates. The blackberries are a form of automation, since you can also check your email and accomplish tasks all on this technological device. There are also games attached to the device and different organizing programs like calendars and notepads. A Blackberry can be like your personal organizer.
Some people use blackberries for work, but nowadays it is mostly used for entertainment. There are certain norms in Doha about using phones in front of guests. It is rude to stay using your blackberry if you have visitors over, usually parents would not allow their children to use their blackberries. It shows disrespect to the visitor.
All age groups use blackberries. It has become an addiction problem to a certain degree. If you realize in restaurants, many people are gathered in one table but every member is not talking. Instead, they are using their blackberries to chat with other individuals. Many accidents have occurred because of the blackberries. The driver would not pay attention to the road and get into an accident because he/she was too busy ‘BBM-ing’
Some argue that blackberries have decreased the face-to-face social interactions of the primary group. This is due to the reason that they are talking to certain individuals all the time with no limits, and they can send pictures, videos and voice notes.
Sometimes individuals get negative sanctions when using their blackberries. For example, personally if my mother catches me using my blackberry in a family gathering she would get angry and tell me to put it away. These are just natural reactions. Mothers in Doha do not like it when their children use their blackberries too much. It is very unlikely that people will receive positive sanctions

when using their blackberries, most people find it disrespectful.