To what extent does text messaging interrupt your work?

Philippines
July 27, 2012 9:53pm CST
You probably missed the deadline just because you were not able to accomplish a task due to texting. We may not know it but those few seconds that we read those messages and another few seconds to reply total to minutes or even hours at the end of the day. I know of some people who can't just keep their mobile phones in their bags or in their drawer while they are working and guess what? Most of them pause too long from what they are doing just to text. Do they get to finish what they are doing at the end of the day, well, some are able while others don't. Good thing, we are not allowed to text while we are inside the class. In as much as we do not allow our students to text while lecture is going on, we teachers are also not allowed to text in the classroom. How about you? To what extent does text messaging interrupt you while at work?
4 people like this
94 responses
@asdomencil (4265)
• Philippines
31 Jul 12
In our work, supervisors and heads of the department are allowed to use cellphones during work because there are many calls from our boss and head office. We don't have a landline here so cellphones are the fastest way to communicate with the people in our main office. In my case, I just put the phone in silent mode and when someone texted me regarding work, I really used to reply to them, but as long a I finished sending my message, I just returned back to work. When someone texted me just to say hello and hi, I just ignore it and reply to them later. Sometimes, the most time consuming part of texting is thinking what are you going to reply. Good day!
2 people like this
@pumpkinjam (8540)
• United Kingdom
5 Aug 12
It doesn't interrupt my work. If I text, I'll do it when I'm having a break or wait until I've finished work. If I get a 'phone call, I might answer it in case it's important but if I get a text, that's not likely to be important and, if it is, the person will call when they don't get a reply. We're not supposed to have 'phones on at work anyway. I think the main reason for this has less to do with interruptions and more to do with the fact that most 'phones have cameras and videos on them which aren't allowed because of child protection as I work in a nursery. I guess the extent work is interrupted by text depends on the job and the attitude of the person doing the job. Saying that, some of the people I work with have to have their 'phones and be able to respond to texts because that is part of their job!
1 person likes this
@thezone (9394)
• Ireland
28 Jul 12
I put my phone on silent. I would rather work then text on a phone! and that is saying something lol
@thezone (9394)
• Ireland
5 Aug 12
But then most people do text me back
@RitterSport (2451)
• Lippstadt, Germany
29 Jul 12
hi dear dolce_vita luckily not at all over here. Granted, I am not one of these who will have the mobile phone up and running all the time. In fact I only got it to be able to message my husband when I would be late in the evening as the trains got messed up again, so he wont rush to the station in vain to pick me up. So I dont use the mobile phone during work hours. If I do there must be a real good excuse for it, like something really important I forgot to tell him to get done or care for as he is the homemaker.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
14 Jan 13
now a day there is a lot of people love texting. for me if somebody text me during my work and i lool to the messages and i reply them. in this situation you will not finished your work on time and if give you a lot of problem because if your boss see you texting during the office hour there is tendency that you will be out to your job. so make sure that your phone must be in the silent mode at all time.
• Philippines
16 Jan 13
Text messaging interrupts my work to the extent that I was not able to finish my household chores that day. As a result, I need to continue it again the next day or much worse will totally forgot it at all. Good thing is that I manage to keep myself away from text messaging, How? It's all because of my perseverance not to send a text message while doing my chores. What I did is, I put my phone off and asked my cousin not to give me my phone at all cost while I'm doing my chores. This strategy worked for me effectively. Now even my phone is with me and I'm doing my chores I manage not to send text message and finished my household chores. I'm glad, I overcome it.
11 Jan 13
While at work, I usually put away my cellphone with me, or I rather put it inside my bag, or put it in a silent mode. On that way no one can disturb me while at work and I'll able to get my tasks done on time especially when the due date is near.
@AnnMary (21)
• Philippines
11 Jan 13
Texting while working can really interrupt a person. There will be a delay of work and the person will not become productive if he/ she are busy texting and working at the same time. In my duty, I always turn my cell phone into silent mode and I only checked it during my break time so that it will not affect my works in the office.
10 Jan 13
My phone was always on silent and it doesn't vibrate even if I'm in the house. So I read messages very late and I don't even know if I have a message(s), they get angry to me because I'm not replying. I'm having my OJT now and at the office every phone was on GENERAL. What I mean general was that every message or every call the phone rings very loud. I am distracted with it because every time it rings I couldn't stop to look whose phone was it. Most especially if the keypad of the phone was like a typewriter where I can hear the pad being press. Also in our office it is very quiet so when there will be call or messages I can really hear it :)
10 Jan 13
I was interrupted by text messaging before. Now I am using my mobile phone as an Alarm. It make me sad.... :( I want to text but not in the classroom ofcourese. :) Anyway texting to the girls made me interrupting before. Not now...hahaha
@rose0218 (24)
11 Jan 13
for me i don't think text messaging can interrupt me a lot.it can interrupt us when we are always had our phone on our hands keeping it busy even the text are not that important. i only use my phone in an important matter. i keep them when im working or doing something and keeping myself busy so im not usually using it. i only use to hold my phone when i know i had a call to answer. it must only be used for emergency and important matters.
• Philippines
13 Jan 13
Yes, its true that texting has a great influence in regarding on accomplishing some task. But this is also good a relaxation for just a minute, especially when you experienced "burn out" or "bomb board". You should also have to plan to organized and to manage your time to accomplish something. How you can concentrate and be focus on your work when there's a lot of messages.
@jumer456 (10)
11 Jan 13
Reading this post makes me guilty about myself. I admit that i cannot stop holding my phone or checking my phone for every 5 mins. As long as you know your priorities then nothing can be problem. When time comes that i missed to accomplish some reports due to my texting then it's up to me to punish my self. I must be fully prepared on the consequences of the bad attitudes and actions i had been doing.
@Allenth (22)
11 Jan 13
In my class, I am usually distracted by phone but I learned not to check it after few days. I know that is respect for teacher and classmates. During the probably missed the deadline just because I am not able to accomplish a task due to texting, I will finish my work first, when i finish that i will check and reply the message. I am also have some co-crew who bring their phones while working even if it is not allowed so they are being interrupted in doing their tasks. I am the one to respect my teacher,workmates and classmates.
@dhee1816 (24)
• Philippines
10 Jan 13
A text messaging interrupt me most. Most especially when it comes to examination day When i heard my phone ring it irritates me when i begin to concentrate to review my notes. But now that i limit the use of my phone i can do things fast. When i am inside the classroom i always silent my cellphone so that i will not hear it when my professor starts to discuss the lesson and also not to interrupt my concentration. Especially when during at work, when i start to scan/ open my phone i will not do anything because i was addicted in playing some games on my cellphone. But when my OJT begin i set aside my cellphone so that it will not interrupt me while working inside the office because i'm afraid that my trainer might caught me.
10 Jan 13
Most of the time I was interrupted by text messages. If I received some text messages, I just can't resist in opening and reading it. And for that, it takes me some minutes or long pause in just reading and replying for that. Wherein I didn't able to accomplish a task due by texting. So for me not to be distracted, as much as possible, I turn my mobile phone in a silent mode.
• Philippines
10 Jan 13
When I am at work i usually keep my cellphone at silent mode. I am not actually fond of text messaging while doing something. When ever I will do something, I put my mind 100% into it without looking even just a glance to my cellphone. It had been my practice because I don't like being disturb while I am concentrating on a certain task. Emergency is a different situation, I usually don't attend to my task when there is really an emergency on my part.
@sabangan (11)
• Philippines
10 Jan 13
It really interrupt me while at work most specially when rushing and that person is always texting you and asking something about you. We all know that every second of time is very important because we cant return it back when we waste it.It is better to priorities first what is important to do before doing other thing to avoid delay of work. It is really interrupting most specially in a team wherein you are very busy and one of your group mate is texting while laughing. Texting while doing work is really a waste of time most specially if you are texting non-sense.
• Philippines
10 Jan 13
I agree. Based on experienced, I really find text as a distraction to my work. Well, we cant really refuse not to text sometimes if we are already into it. But might be a lesson for all since we may experience the consequence of not managing our work properly and time as well. We just need to wake our mind and always remember that we must pay first before we play, because this can lead us to success in life.
• Philippines
10 Jan 13
Yes I believe that always texting can distract me. Sometimes, I forget that I have important things to do just because of texting. This post enlightened me that we should avoid texting when we are ding important things. So we should try our best not to text if we are in the classroom or at work so that we will not be distracted. we can text during our breaks.