Dangers Of Teens And Texting
Dangers Of Teens And Texting
I resisted the purchase of a cell phone for the longest time. I watched and saw how often my wife's phone went off and I couldn't bear the thought of being that accessible all the time. Once texting and internet surfing became popular, it put the final nail in the coffin of the talent known as social interaction.
I vividly recall sitting in a restaurant and watching the couple at the next booth, obviously a husband and wife, sit through an entire meal and never look up from their respective phones, either taking calls or texting or surfing, with nary a word actually spoken between the two of them. I had the irresistible urge to walk over and slap the phone out of the guy's hand and say "Talk to your wife!" Somehow I didn't think the result would be what I hoped for.
Of course I did end up getting a phone, although I do remain a considerable distance behind on the cell phone evolutionary scale. While mine does allow for internet surfing and texting, it doesn't come anywhere close to the technological advancement of the phones my daughters are currently using. And when I was waffling over whether or not to get texting, I was reminded that my kids would communicate with me far more often through text than call, a prediction that has been proven right. In that context, it has been a most helpful tool.
Unfortunately, in the wrong situations, texting can have far ranging and regrettable results. In recent years, a growing number of automobile accidents have been attributed to teens (and adults, to be fair) who have attempted to text while driving. The problem here is obvious..texting, even a word or two, takes your attention off the road for far too long.
This author will freely admit to the temptation to text while driving; I recently received a text while driving home and without even thinking, I started to answer it. Obviously in the hands of a less mature or experienced person, the temptation may actually succeed.
In a recent study 67% of teens admitted to texting while driving at a high rate of speed, while 37% admit to have been "extremely distracted" by texting.
In addition, text based scams are becoming quite popular and profitable for those who traffic in them. Scammers will send messages offering something for free, or perhaps a message marked "Urgent" allegedly from a loved one. Answering any one of these can pull you into a scam, and teenagers don't always have the good judgment to delete it or ignore it.
Texting may also be a source of harassment or bullying. While this is not confined to teens (adults engage in questionable behavior on a regular basis), it is common for teens to lack the ability to deal with the emotional consequences of cyber bullying. News stories in recent years have focused on teenagers who committed suicide as a result. It therefore becomes important to closely monitor your child's texting habits, who they are talking to, and the nature of the conversations that are taking place.
Many parents don't wish to be seen as spying on their children, but in a world where much of what used to be public can now be carried out in relative anonymity, it becomes all the more important to be vigilante in looking out for your child's best interests.
Texting also presents the opportunity to spend way too much time conversing with friends, even late into the night when they should be receiving the sleep they need to adequately function during the day.
In addition, the new trend known as sexting, sending sexually explicit pictures through text or e-mail, is a disturbing one. Teens haven't quite grasped the concept of permanence yet, and they need to understand that when a picture, any picture, is posted online, then they should consider that picture gone forever. There will be no getting it back, and for the rest of time as we know it, that picture will be on somebody's hard drive somewhere. They do not need their reputations, present or future, ruined because of one misjudgment. Teens need to be talked to about sexting and have the consequences drilled into their psyche.
Texting can be a beneficial tool, but handled the wrong way could have catastrophic consequences. Take the time to instruct your teen on the proper use of this technology. Eight Easy Approaches To Creating Cheap Bunk Beds For Children Teens And Driving: Age Appropriate? Top Companies Which Deliver Child and also Youngsters Rain Boots Where to get cool baby boy gifts? All you need to know about baby boy gifts to send Angry Children and How to Manage Them Little recognized things about inexpensive child boy gifts Karate For Kids - Why We Should Get Our Kids Looking At Other Martial Arts Styles How To Get My Child Into Modeling Coal Minner Boy James Malinchak Turns Millionaire Understand How Having your baby boy gifts delivered? Children Wear Suppliers Bring the Designer Wears for Your Children Parenting You Kids Through Your Divorce