Texting trends in Baghdad

Link: ABC News: Texting, Ring Tones All the Rage in Iraq.

Beep, beep, beep. Then the text comes: “President Bush calls for a timetable for the withdrawal of the Iraqi people from Iraq.”

It’s not a news update. It’s Omar Abdul Kareem’s relentlessly beeping cell phone and one of the 20 or so humorous text messages he gets every day from his friends.

In a city bereft of entertainment, text messaging and swapping ringtones are all the rage for young Iraqis trying to lighten their lives. Most restaurants, cafes and movies have closed due to the country’s security situation.