Message facts for kids
A message is a piece of information that someone sends to another person or a group of people. It's like sending a thought or an idea from one place to another. Messages can be sent in many ways, such as through a courier (someone who delivers mail), by telegraphy (sending signals over wires), using a carrier pigeon, or even through electronic signals inside computers.
When you watch a TV show or listen to the radio, you are receiving a message that is being broadcast to many people at once. When people exchange messages back and forth, it creates a conversation.
Sometimes, a message can be a special kind of report called a communiqué. This is a short statement or announcement released by a government office or a public group.
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How Humans Communicate with Messages
When people communicate, messages can be sent in two main ways:
- A verbal message uses words. This includes talking face-to-face, making phone calls, or leaving voicemails.
- A nonverbal message uses actions or behaviors instead of words. For example, your body language (like a smile or a frown) can send a message without you saying anything.
Messages in Computers
In the world of computers, the word "message" can mean a couple of different things:
Messages Between People
Computers help people send messages to each other.
- Instant messaging and emails are common ways to send messages. These computer programs let you send text, pictures, and other information from one person to another.
Messages Inside Computer Programs
Computers also send messages to themselves! These messages are used by programs or different parts of a program to work together.
- Message passing is a way that different parts of a computer program talk to each other. This is often used in complex programs that do many things at once, like in parallel computing where many tasks run at the same time.
- In some programming languages like Smalltalk or Java, a "message" is sent to an object (which is like a building block of the program). This message tells the object what action it should perform.
- Modern cars often use electronic warning notifications. Instead of just a simple light on the dashboard, newer cars have screens (like LCD or LED displays) that show more detailed messages. For example, instead of just a "check engine" light, you might get a message explaining exactly what the problem is. This also allows for new warnings, like telling you the exact pressure in each of your tires, which used to require a special tool to check.
See also
In Spanish: Mensaje para niños
