Do you text? I do, but I think it’s ‘pants’ - most of the time. No, I didn’t know what this word meant until receiving a text from a younger member of the family who had used it. I didn’t text back to ask what it meant - I telephoned. ’ I don’t ‘do’ telephones’ I was told. ’ Well, I do, so live with it.’ ‘So have you got rid of your mobile?’ I asked. ‘What do you mean, Grandad?’ But you said you don’t ‘do’ telephones. 'That’s different! To be fair, texting is fine for me to let my wife know my flight is, or is not, delayed etc. It doesn’t require a reply - although I usually get one. But to try to have a conversation by text IS ‘pants’. It’s threat to good relationships and causes untold arguments. I hear my wife calling out, ‘What does she mean by that?’ I know Lyn has had a reply to a text. ‘Probably didn’t understand what you texted’ (Awful word) ‘I only asked…’ ‘Then why not telephone and, if you have misunderstood anything, you can sort it out straight away before any more damage is done.’ I ask why another text is being composed (not that texts ever appear to be 'composed) ‘She doesn’t ‘do’ telephones’ I give up.
Been in France 15 months, haven’t bothered to get a mobile, not missing it at all… Free again! 
I do occasionally send the odd ‘text’ SMS, but I send it from Skype, which means I have the whole computer keyboard with which to express myself. And it’s generally cheaper than the phone.
have to admit to texting and emailing in preference to calling people - luckily my other half is the other way around - he prefers to pick up the phone, so I leave all the phone calls to him 
I do a bit of both - but prefer the direct approach, like you. Texts are cost effective, which is why younger people use them so much.
I’m afraid the texting lingo does get the better of me, and my daughter operates both slang versions - French and English. Thankfully, when she texts me it is usually complete words with no abbreviations. I wonder if she is diplomatically telling me I’m old???
Something tells me you are going to get lots of replies to this post!