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# 10 Questions for Texting Champ Austin Wierschke

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## Video: 10 Questions for Texting Champ Austin Wierschke

[Watch (HLS stream): 10 Questions for Texting Champ Austin Wierschke](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/atsk3fxm.m3u8) (4:51)

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_Published 2012-08-15. Teen texting champ Austin Wierschke on mobile etiquette, LOLs and running up his parents' phone bill_


---

Jul 27, 2023 3:26 PM UTC

---

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---


## Transcript

Hi, I'm Dan Macsai from Time Magazine. We're here with Austin Wierschke, who just won the National Texting Championships for the second time. Austin Wierschke! [ SOUND ] So we hear stories about, you know, Gabby Douglas training for 30 hours in the gym, Michael Phelps eating 12, 000 calories a day. So what do you do to prepare for the National Texting Championships? There's a few helpful apps on the Android market on our phones that we can download, which will help us. And, as I'm riding in the car with someone else, I see street signs and I just start texting those just to keep my speed up. That's a weird thing that I do.

[ LAUGH ] Not that weird. Yea, I guess. [ LAUGH ] So how many texts would you say you send in the average month? Eh, in a month probably around 10, 000. Oh I bet your parents love getting that bill. Yeah. They love it. [ LAUGH ] [ LAUGH ] I know they do. [ LAUGH ] Yeah. Well at least now you can tell them it was worth it. It was worth it. Yeah. Yeah for sure. cuz, how much did you win in the, the prize? I won $ 50, 000. Nice. It's totally worth it. hm. So, is this your full time job? no, I actually work at my parents' restaurant. I'm a cook there. But, I guess this is a secondary job. [ LAUGH ] Okay.

Yeah. You've got to be careful of your thumbs and stuff with cooking. Yes, exactly, got to be careful with that. Any, any horror stories, any, any accidents that almost happened? well, actually one time I was slicing up some basil and I cut the tip of my finger off. And it wasn't my thumb. It wasn't my thumb. So I was, I was okay. Uh- huh. But I was really concerned, I guess. I guess you could say my whole texting career flashed before my eyes. [ LAUGH ] Well, it's good you're okay now. Yes. Yes, yeah. So let's talk texting etiquette. Would you text, say, during a family dinner? Is that okay? yeah.

I definitely do, and even if they don't want me to, I still do it. [ LAUGH ] I can text without looking, so. Oh wow. Yeah. Okay, what about breaking up with someone via text? Is that. I don't think that's ok. I've, I've personally never done that. I think it should be done in person, and I think even a phone call isn't even okay. Got it. Yeah. And how long is acceptable to wait before texting someone back? If they want to talk, I'll text them, and if they don't text me back, whatever, they don't want to talk to me, so I just wait for them. I don't really overdo it with people, I guess you could say.

Sure. And so what are some of your favorite abbreviations? Oh, well actually I don't really use abbreviations. I, Ever? Not really. I have, I use like correct grammar and stuff like that, which is kind of interesting. I, That sort of makes you like a texting anomaly. I guess so, I guess so. But, I do like, LOL, JK, and the standard ones, I guess. Sure. So some people, and I'm not saying I'm one of them, say that texting is, say, like a less intimate form of communication than, you know, email or talking on the phone. What are, what are your thoughts on that? I think it depends what age group you belong to.

For us teenagers, it's the main way that we talk to each other. That and Facebook are the biggest things that we use, and even, like, different generations of people are starting using text messages and Facebook. I mean, I know people, like, who have grandmas that text them and stuff like that, so it's becoming really popular and, for sure, I think it's one of the main ways that we all talk with each other. It's the quickest way, I think. What are, what are some of your texting tips, I guess would you say? If you're looking for the, to join the competition. Mhm. I think speed and accuracy are the most important parts of it.

You can be really fast, but it doesn't matter if you're spelling every word wrong. Mhm. So. Just be accu, accurate I guess. Sure. And what about for texters in general? Us, us non competitive texters, I guess. Oh, okay, well, obviously, don't text and drive. I am so against that. Don't text whenever, I don't, just don't do it when, in a situation Sure. that's bad. Just don't text I guess. Sure. And what are your thoughts on emoticons? Emoticons? I, I use them once in a while. Sure. But I, I don't know. I like em but I just, I'm not really, I'm kind of a boring texter, to be honest. Oh yeah? I just, I just send all words.

[ LAUGH ] Yeah, I bore people. No emoticons. What about punctuation? I, yes, I use a lot of punctuation. All proper punctuation? Yeah, Wow. So you're very proper text. Yeah I guess. I guess you could say that. Well I guess you are a professional, so that makes sense. Yeah, I'm, I'm professional, yes. [ LAUGH ] So who in the world would you most like to receive a text from? Oh, boy. Probably Jennifer Lawrence? [ LAUGH ] Oh, yeah? Yeah. How come? I don't know, I just, I was obsessed with The Hunger Games. And I just really like her as an actress, and. Got it. Yeah. Well, Jennifer Lawrence, when you're watching this video.

Yes Please text Austin. Text me. Text me. Austin, thanks so much for coming by. And best of luck in all your future texting endeavours. Thank you. I hope you three- peat next year. Yeah, I hope so too. Planning on it.

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