TEXTING AND TEENAGERS

TEXTING AND TEENS               

By: Tina

No matter what generation you come from teens seem to be constantly on the phone.  However, teens of today are doing much more texting than talking.  According to a study conducted by Pew Internet and American Life Project, one-third of teens in the United States text more than 100 times per day.  Text messaging is by far the most common way that teens between the ages of 12 and 17 communicate with each other.  On average, girls send about 60% more text messages per day than boys.  Cell phone texting has become the preferred channel of basic communication between teens and their friends, with cell calling coming in at a close second.  Among all teens, the frequency or use of texting has now overtaken the frequency of every other common form of interaction with their friends.  

Texting has become a centerpiece in teen social life.  Not only do teens use cell phones for calling or texting, but also to access the internet and to take and share photos and videos.  Parents and teachers have grown increasingly concerned about the role of cell phones in the lives of teens and young adults.  So why do parents permit their teenagers to have cell phones?  Most parents say the use of cell phones will allow them to stay in touch with their teen no matter where they are.  That may be true but parents also need to consider and exercise some control over the use of those phones.  I recently conducted a survey of 50 family members, friends, and co-workers asking them three basic questions about parental control over their teen’s cell phone.  Take a look at the graph below for the results. 

I was very pleased to learn that almost half of the people surveyed said that they check the contents of their teen’s cell phone regularly.  It is a good habit for parents to be aware of who your teenager is communicating with and what they are talking about.  As mentioned earlier, teens also use cell phones to send pictures and videos to each other creating another concern for parents called sexting.  I was shocked to learn that this is the newest “crave” among teens.  Sexting is sending sexually nude, or nearly nude, images or videos of yourself to someone else via text messaging.  A new survey from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project found that 4% of teens admitted that they have sent sexually suggestive text messages, and 15% of teens admitted to receiving such messages. 

Could all of this texting be harmful to your teen’s health?  According to WebMD Health News, teens that are considered “hyper-texters”, defined as texting 120 or more messages in a school day, run a greater risk of trying cigarettes, engaging in underage drinking and fighting, and experimenting with illegal drugs and sex.  Research also reveals that too much texting and social networking are also linked to obesity, eating disorders, school absenteeism, lack of adequate sleep, and feelings of being unsafe at school.  These are actual facts from a recent study conducted by researchers at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine 

http://case.edu/think/breakingnews/hypertexting.html.  It is apparent that if left unsupervised, texting can have dangerous health effects on teenagers. 

Please allow this information to serve as a wake-up call for all parents to not only help their teenagers stay safe, but also to discourage excessive use of cell phones and texting in general.