Texting, friend or foe?

Texting is by far the lowest form of communication. I thought email had done it, but then texting burst on the scene like a drag-queen all gussied up in silver sequins and red taffeta (not that there's anything wrong with that).
I think, nay, I know that texting can ruin a relationship/friendship, or at least cause very great damage. I was mad at my friend Brent for a couple of months because of his proclivity for using the phrase "LOL." Which, by the way, should not be used as a way to say any jerky thing you want and then just laugh it off, like this, "you're so fat and ugly, lol!" (But that is exactly how people use it. Down with "lol!")
I have a friend whose relationship was hanging in the balance because of non-received texts. She actually decided to be less available to her own boyfriend because of this quasi-communication.
Not to mention that the facial expressions/tone of voice are completely lost in texting (and email, although you typically have more space and time to express your meaning with email). What someone means to be a joke can be totally mis-construed, and serious statements taken as breezy. No bueno.
However, sometimes texting is like the warm, fuzzy blanket of communication. It takes very little effort, the stakes in being rejected are lots lower (not only do you not have to audibly hear them say, "no, for the last time, I will not go out with you! Leave me alone!" But also, there is always that "hmm... I doubt he is ignoring me, he must just not have gotten my text" lingering in the back of hopeful/pathetic minds everywhere), and it's free (thanks to unlimited texting plans everywhere).
I have become a texting monster myself. It saddens me that, at such a young age, I am being driven to set my standards of conversation so low. It can only get worse from here. I submit that eventually, we will have absolutely no verbal communication whatsoever. Which sucks, because I love to hear myself talk. And you.