text messaging - the sport ESPN won't cover

It's official now. The world is going to hell in a hand basket.

Why? When there are competitions, equating a form of athleticism to sending a text message well then the future is just all over. Seriously, there was a competition for the fastest, and most accurate, text messager.

Obviously this was a ploy by LG Electronics Inc. to spur the use of text messages and generate income. The winner of the "event" was Kate Moore. At 15 years of age she gained her "skills" by sending 400 or more text messages a day. Which includes in school when she should be learning lessons, and at home when she is supposed to be having dinner.

Now I must add that the young Ms. Moore states that she has good grades. Which I will take at her word. Though I bet that her grades were higher, and could be higher, without the texts. And she is involved with performing in her local school plays. Which leads me to believe she will not become a serial killer as she has real world social skills, to some degree.

But more importantly is the thought that for the predominance of young people, interactions and just life have become more of a secondary action to being tied to a cell phone or similar device. 250,000 people, all at or under the age of 22, showed up for this "competition". And I don't get why.

So she can text well and fast. Why does that deserve a trophy or $50,000 (how much of which I wonder will be spent on her cell phone bills)? How is this useful or even interesting?

Consider any sport. There is a skill and athleticism involved. There are social attributes that are gained. Some degree and form of socially redeeming qualities can be found. But text messages? If this is the best we can expect from the generations to come, plan on moving to an island.

I can see it now. Movie stars that win Oscars for the best emotes in a sentence. New debates about English being the only language vs. the hyper-abbreviated language of texts being spoken. OMG

I honestly am not picking on this young girl. But I am picking on a non-achievement that has been raised to a point that it pretends to be worthy of acclaim. I am picking on the lowering of standards and expectations of the next generations. She won $50,000 big deal. What she and other young people may be losing in the long run is priceless.