Thing 5

Is Too Much Texting a Bad Thing for Teens?
Interesting question. This blog post discusses the possible negatives related to teen texting; lack of sleep, health issues, social dependence. However, the really interesting part to me was the reactions of the kids to their parents use of iPhones and Blackberries. While the teens were constantly texting, they expected their parents to be always at their disposal for questions, transportation and advice. They resented the fact that part of the time they wanted their parents undivided attention, the parents were on the phone. I know I'm rather addicted to my iPhone. It bings and I'm there, constantly in touch even when I need to be doing something else. So where does the danger lie? Is it really too much texting that is dangerous or is it the lack of attention these teens are getting from their technology dependent parents? I wonder. BTW, Ian Jukes reminded us that texting late at night was about the same as reading under the covers with a flashlight, just like I did.