Thursday morning, 13-year-old Kayla Manson appeared on NBC’s The Today Show to talk about her involvement in a text-rage related incident that nearly resulted in her best friend’s death.

Manson seemed completely unaware of television restrictions on foul language, answering interviewing hostess, Meredith Veira’s questions about the texts that pushed 15-year-old Wayne Treacy over the edge. Manson replied to Veira’s question, “the one where she calls him a rapist, and she calls him a c*nt, I mean the one where he calls her a c*nt.”

Veira reminded Manson patiently that television doesn’t allow such language, but the actual footage wasn’t edited until after the show aired live.

Manson is currently being charged as an accomplice to attempted murder, though her lawyer noted they are considering her a primary in the charges, as though she personally committed the crime.

No longer able to see or talk to her best friend, this shocking incident seems as if it is becoming typical in high school arenas. Misunderstandings and miscommunications through texting seem to be among the norm, as there is no way to gauge tonal inflection or the seriousness of another’s words.

Either way, the whole thing makes me sad. The full news story is just a huge mess, and now three kids lives are destroyed forever over words that should never have been typed.

Now, I’m off to have a serious chat with my fifteen-year-old text happy daughter about how chatting online and through text messages is not the same as talking to a person face to face in the real world.

I think I will add in a lesson about swearing on television too, just for good measure.