the Informer

For eighteen-year-old Loren Thompson texting is not just a necessity, but a pass time, a habit and an addiction.

Recently seen on MTV’s “True Life: I’m a Textaholic,” Thompson, native of Windsor, Connecticut, has become a small town celebrity at the University of Hartford.

After having her sister write in to MTV, Loren was approached about being on the show on account of her extreme slew of texts sent in a month’s time. With over 14,000 sent texts a month, there is no wonder as to why she was a perfect candidate for the episode.

True Life is a documentary series that has been running on MTV since 1998. Each episode follows a particular topic, such as addiction, love and life choices. The show is then created by following a series of subjects by a camera crew through certain aspect of their lives.

Thompson was filmed daily by MTV’s camera crew and was constantly under the watch of an audience.

She stated, “The filming is a lot like having a second job. They start filming in the morning.”

In certain scenarios the crew had to reshoot a scene, while trying to mimic the actual happenings of the day. Thomson said that the only downside is that the filming had to be done and grab certain shots, and when scenes had to be redone she often found herself late to other obligations.

When filmed continuously, it is hard to cut images and shots without the context becoming misconstrued. When it comes to True Life, the show was complete with the footage that was needed for the storyline, yet certain scenes were made to look more dramatic than they really were.

Thompson said, “I think the episode made me look like I’m mean to my friends and family, but I swear I’m really nice.” This is a perfect exemplification of what television can do to a person such as Loren Thompson.

Due to Loren’s maximal amount of texting, the show also portrayed her medical issues. She suffers from carpal tunnel syndrome in her hand. Loren is seen at the doctor’s office being examined for her wrist problems. Now she has to wear a brace after she takes tests or takes a lot of notes, and her hand also gets very swollen when it is cold out, or after straining or typing too much.

“During that time in my life, texting was a huge part of my daily routine and even though I know it was affecting my health, I, in a way, could not stop.”

In the episode Loren was asked to participate in community service, and during that time was also told by her mother if she got a text to “Ignore it!” Those that are closest to Loren Thompson were concerned for her health and safety because they knew that she was planning on playing volleyball here at the University of Hartford. She was unable to try out, but has also chosen to not try out due to a central focus on academics.

Now at the University of Hartford, “I don’t text nearly as much as I used to. I admit there are days where I text like I did before, but that doesn’t happen often.”

Loren’s experience on True Life: I’m a Textaholic has taught her some very valuable life lessons, as well as given the University of Hartford some publicity. As for Loren’s publicity she says, “I am just starting to be okay with it.”