How does texting effect teens?
Texting effects many teenagers behavior and academics.
Behavior
"About 75 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds in the United States own cellphones, and 75 percent of these teens send text messages, according to the Pew Research Center's Pew 2010 Internet and American Life Project. More than half of these teens text daily."
Teen Texting Patterns
"Two-thirds of the teens surveyed in the Pew research study reported that they are more apt to text with their cellphones than use them for spoken conversation. Their thumbs are flying, since half of the teens who responded send 50 or more text messages per day and one in three sends more than 100. In general, girl’s text more garrulously than boys, sending and receiving 80 messages a day to the male teen's 30 messages."
Social Impact
"Incessant contact with friends and getting multiple opinions on every topic may impact teens' decision-making skills, since they may feel insecure or incapable of thinking things through on their own and trusting their judgment."
Texting and Risky Behavior
"A study released in 2010 by the American Public Health Association reported that hyper-texting; texting more than 120 times a day, can lead to an increased risk of smoking, drinking and drug use, physical violence and sexual activity. Of the teens surveyed, the hyper-texters were twice as likely to have experimented with alcohol and three times more likely to have had sex than teens who messaged less often."
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Academics
Disruption at School
"Even if your teen isn't texting during class, others who are can disrupt her concentration as she tries to learn. Hearing the ping of a text message, even if it's another teen's, temporarily distracts her from what's being taught, and notes the National School Safety and Security Services website. If this happens on a regular basis, she might miss something imperative to the lesson, which can make future lessons more difficult. Many high schools have rules regarding the use of cell phones, but talk to administration about having students silence their incoming texts if your teen reports trouble concentrating due to text message signals in class and encourage her to leave her own phone in her locker during class."
Cheating
"Texting, for some teens, is an easy way to relay the answers to tests back and forth, ensuring that passing grades are achieved regardless of study time or comprehension of the material. Teens with cameras on their phones might take a picture of an important exam and text it to a friend who wants to find all the answers without having to study. Even if your teen isn't cheating with his phone, he might be peer pressured to do so, which can cause tension and a change to the school environment, according to the National School Safety and Security Services website. This can translate to distraction, which in turn can also lead to slipping grades and resistance to going to class."
Distraction and Procrastination
"You probably know how difficult it is to get anything done when you keep getting interrupted. The same holds true for teens. If your teen is trying to do his homework, but his friends keep texting him, he's being repeatedly distracted. This can prevent your teen from fully understanding the material and it's likely to take him much longer than usual to complete a task. Some teens, when faced with this issue, may put off important homework assignments, which may never get done or may be done halfheartedly, resulting in a lower than average grade. Have your teen stow his cell phone while he does his homework so he can get it finished and remember what he learned afterward."
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Work cited
http://www.livestrong.com/article/1005911-texting-affect-teens-school/
"How Does Texting Affect How Teens Do in School?" LIVESTRONG.COM. LIVESTRONG.COM, 18 July 2013. Web. 19 May 2015.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/532976-how-has-texting-affected-the-social-lives-of-teens/
"How Has Texting Affected the Social Lives of Teens?" LIVESTRONG.COM. LIVESTRONG.COM, 16 Aug. 2013. Web. 19 May 2015.