In the article, someone states of young adults: "They check their e-mail 20 times a day." (Not being aged 20-something myself, I wondered if this is a serious statement and they really do check it about that many times a day, or just pointing out that they check it more frequently than the rest of us. Just can't imagine doing anything 20 times a day.)

Having four teenage children at home (13-19 yo), I can attest to the fact that, yes, they do check their email as often as that, and text message even more. Several thousand text msgs per month to and from each of my children to their friends, acquaintances, and even relatives, have allowed them to form even stronger bonds with their cousins, aunts, uncles, and old friends (we are in the military and they have had to say goodbye to dear friends too many times). Combine that with websites like facebook, myspace, & blogspot, and my children are in almost instant communication with anyone in their various social circles. Because of our personal work and school situations, each of my children has their own cell phone. I can send them a short "I love you" msg 24/7 regardless of where they are or what they are doing and they will get it almost the moment I press "send". I completely realize that it's not for everyone, but for us, it's a great way to keep in touch.

To Really,

Young adults do check our email accounts (yes, that's plural) more than 20 times a day. Most of us even get it on our cell phones and blackberries and we check it more frequently than we do our voice messages.

Some of us make it a lot easier on ourselves and use programs that provide pop ups on our computer every time we receive emails in one of our email accounts. These programs make it easier for us to check our email frequently.

Since starting to type this message I have received 4 emails and viewed each of them.

That's 4 times right there and it's only 7:52 a.m. Can you imagine how many times I will check it over the course of the day? I can't give a definitive number except to say I definately check it a minimum 20 times a day like this article has stated.

Many of the older generation are out of touch with the younger generation. We get our news, talk to friends, and even watch MOVIES and TV from our computers. I get my news from the internet instead of CNN or Fox News channels because I want it on demand.

I'm 50 and I know I check my email more than that. Its just a habit while working at my computer. It only takes ten seconds or so...

"those who miss church meetings are likely to be tracked down via text."

??

What is this, some kind of prison? I understand the use of texting. In fact it is the only thing that makes Church meetings tolerable. I sit in Sacrament meeting and text my friends and family and it takes the boredom out of the meeting with its tedious, lackluster talks and horrible ward choir!

I am unsure about how often the average young adult checks email, however I would like to comment briefly about the article in general. As a a twentyish member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have received hundreds of tex messages and emails and I simply want to remind anyone who reads this article that there , in my estimation, exists no substitute to reaching out in fellowship to those who may have wandered in person. No impersonal spam email or text message can replace looking someone in the eye and telling them they are missed and God loves them.

Daniel,

Ironic that you think your "electronic text" posted on here will do any good.

As soon as God looks me in the eye and tells me He misses me and love me, then I will get religion!

Until then, you and your religious brethren are spouting off myths and fables that only waste people's time, cause divisiveness, and confuse moral issues by appeals to ambiguous authority and dogma rather than common sense and reason. I ask you to keep it to yourself, just like I ask those who claim to have been abducted by aliens to keep it to themselves.

Reply to Daniel: The sad reality in many cases is that if someone reached out to those people "in person" at church then they would probably be there more often. Doctrine and history may be one thing, but IMO a big factor on attending that is being severely neglected in many cases is the social aspect.

Here is my prediction....

We will start to see the trend of people declaring that the are going cell phone free!

I'm already there.

Cell phones are a prison sentence.

We have one pre-paid phone that we use for emergencies. That is it.

Declare your freedom! Get off the phone!

After reading all the responses to "really??", I now know why several of the young adults I know feel they have no time (or, according to them "absolutely no interest") for jobs, school, study, church, chores, callings, reading, or humanitarian service. Constant connecting with friends (email, texts, myspace, facebook, blogs) is all they want to use their time and energy for. I salute all those other young adults I know who live a valuable, useful, happy life and who still blog/text etc. without it taking over their whole existence.

It's pretty funny that most cell phones, laptops, Blackberries, etc are made in a country that does not allow LDS missionaries and where the government would throw one of its own citizens in jail if he or she tried to join the LDS church.

Brent: Is it too much to ask that YOU also "keep it to yourself"????

I agree with "Reply to Brent". Those who have anti-mormon or anti-religious feelings want the rest of us to keep our mouths shut, but they refuse to do the same.

As a bishop of a YSA ward I know emphatically that texting is the single best (most reliable and responsive)way of communicating with a ward member. Of course nothing substitutes for the one-on-one contact and meeting, but if I need sure and quick communication with the expectation that someone is going to get right back to me, it's through texting. Great tool! For me it's more reliable/responsive then either IMing or e-mail.

Yup,

We are not the ones making self-righteous claims that we are the ONLY ones who have the truth, and we are "God's chosen people" and the "one and only true church," and we don't try to convince you that angels and gold plates are real and insist that if you don't believe they are real, you must be a sinner!

So I repeat, I ask you to keep your superstitious insanity to yourselves. Public discourse requires reason. You all have rejected reason long ago.

I don't have unlimited text messaging and every message costs me money. Would it be appropriate for me to deduct the cost of those church messages from my tithing bill?

I think what most of these "hip" bishops and Church leaders would be shocked to know is how many texts are going back and forth between members of their student wards that have nude pictures ("showing off") attached!

To: Yup and Reply to Brent, It's because we are better than you. Deal with it now with your shrink and your life will be easier. :D

What's a ward?

I think it's a place where they put mentally imbalanced people...

I intercepted a "showing off" message that was sent to me by mistake. As a teacher, I was in the contact list along with the friends of one of my LDS students. She thought she was sending (nude) pictures of herself to her boyfriend, but my number was substituted by mistake.

These instant technologies have a dark side, too.

As a leader in my YSA ward, texting and other means have been priceless for many of us. In my own life, I enjoyed getting the occasional text or Facebook message reminding me of an activity or meeting. Many of us texted one another for other reasons, but it was nice to get the text from time to time if I missed a week, asking if things were okay.

If used wisely, these technologies do help keep ward members involved and in contact when they go home for a weekend or had to work and missed something. I agree, texting can be a pain too, but it is often a valuable means to keeping in touch with the people around you.