Essay on Texting has Affected Teenagers

Texting currently is impacting teenagers in today's society. Teens text everywhere; in school, work, and even while driving. This unhealthy habit could possibly be causing a shift in the way adolescents develop (Hefner, "Texting May Be Taking a Toll"). Many of the teenagers who spend an obsessive amount of time texting are at risk of unhealthy behaviors (Pedersen, "Hyper-Texting Associated with Health Risks for Teens"). Teen's don't realize how much they can be affected by their cell phones.

Texting is taking a toll on teenage behaviors. Behaviors of teens have changed though generations because of items or people having effect on them. For example, texting gives teenagers opportunities to text their parents all day. Teenagers are expected to break free from their parents as they grow into adults, but because of cell phones it is harder to do because now there are some adolescents who are texting their mothers 15 times a day (Hefner, "Texting May Be Taking a Toll"). If teens are always in contact with their parents they can't break free and live on their own when they are older.

In addition to this, teenagers are more likely to do irresponsible things if they text obsessively. These teens are 40 percent more likely to have tried cigarettes, two times more likely to have tried alcohol, 43 percent more likely to have used illicit drugs, 55 percent more likely to have been in a physical fight, nearly three-and-a-half times more likely to have had sex and 90 percent more likely to report four or more sexual partners (Pedersen, "Hyper-Texting Associated with Health Risks for Teens"). Texting is getting more and more influential in some teen's lives.

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The physical and mental issues with texting could range from anxiety to thumb damage. Michael Hausauer, a psychotherapist in Oakland, California, said teenagers had a "terrific interest in knowing what's going on in the lives of their peers, coupled with a terrific anxiety about being out of the loop" (Hefner, "Texting May Be Taking a Toll"). Teenagers always need to know what's going on in their friends life, they text, they go on facebook, do anything to be in contact with their friends. So, if they lose that contact they get anxious, and not know what to do if they are not texting every minute.

According to the findings at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine Study, nearly 20 percent of the teenage participants were "hyper-texters." The researchers defined "hyper-texting" as texting more than 120 messages per school day (Pederson, "Hyper-Texting Associated with Health Risks for Teens"). Along with this, teens that text too much can get thumb damage. As said by Peter W. Johnson, "Based on our experiences with computer users, we know intensive repetitive use of the upper extremities can lead to musculoskeletal disorders, and that too much texting could lead to temporary or permanent damage to the thumbs"(Hefner, "Texting May Be Taking a Toll"). Texting causes problems that are not an easy fix, but teenagers don't realize this.

Texting and driving has been a problem not only for teens, but for everyone these days. The only difference between teen texting and driving and adult texting and driving is, adults know what they are risking, the consequences of this action, and teens don't. The long term consequences of texting and driving are rarely thought of when the action is done. For instance, Taylor Sauer was driving along 1-84, passing the time by messaging a friend on facebook, but she stopped short, writing her final massive, "I can't discuss this now.

Driving and facebooking is not safe! Haha." Moments later, she crashed into a truck that was slowly climbing the hill and was killed instantly (Inbar,"Parents of Teen who Died Texting and Driving: Kids Think They're Invincible"). Death, trauma, damage to the brain, lost limbs, these are all examples of long term consequences of texting and driving, but some teens don't even think twice about them. Some teenagers use texting as a distraction when they are driving, like to stay awake on a long ride or if they are board. Just like Taylor Sauer's father thought as he told TODAY, "I think she was probably (texting) to stay awake, she was probably tired.

But that's not a reason to do it, and the kids think they're invincible. To them, (texting) is not distracting, they're so proficient at texting, that they don't feel it's distracted driving" (Inbar, "Parents of Teen who Died Texting and Driving: Kids Think They're Invincible"). There are ways to prevent texting and driving, but that involves teens, and adults, to follow through and act on these prevention rules.

Like Taylor Sauer's father said, "I think every state should have the (texting ban) law. It might not make changes right now, but (for) the younger generations it will be an educational tool, just like the seat belt (law)" (Inbar,"Parents of Teen who Died Texting and Driving: Kids Think They're Invincible"). There may be laws, there may be rules, but it's everybody's responsibility and job to enforce these facts on the generations to come to keep more people safe.

All in all, texting can take a toll on behaviors, can cause physical and mental issues, and texting while driving can cause serious damage. Teenagers just text everywhere and they don't realize how much they can be affected by their cell phones. There are many facts about teenage texting that most didn't know. Texting may have its advantages, but it also has its consequences, will you choose to text responsibly?

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