The Dangers of Texting

Recently an article in the New York Times caught my eye. In the article "Texting May Be Taking a Toll" it explained the dangers of texting for adolescents. According to the article, teenagers send an average of 2,272 text messages a month or in other words 80 texts a day. Physicians are worried that this repetitious activity could do damage to more then just their grades and have lasting affects on their thumbs similar to the injuries you find with computer users who develop musculoskeletal disorders in there upper extremities. These kinds of disorders could cause temporary or permanent damage to their thumbs. Then there are a laundry list of other problems such as sleep deprivation and increased anxiety caused by themselves while trying to prevent from being out of the loop. Some health professionals are saying that they also fear that texting between parents and children may inhibit their development hampering adolescents from becoming independent adults. Some think because it is easier to ask mom and dad or have mom and dad to tell them what to do instead of thinking through a problem to a solution they will lose the opportunity to grow through the process of learning for themselves.

The article is extremely interesting considering texting has become an everyday occurrence for most people in the United States. However, it may be a little early to say that texting is hampering adolescent development in decision-making. The bottom line is that parents need to stay in touch with their children, and make sure that texting isn't occurring at inappropriate times or to excess.