Texting: The New Teenage Addiction
Communication
takes on new forms for every generation. From baby boomers to
Gen-X'ers, there has always been a new form of communication. For
years, the preferred form of communication for teens were land lines
which basically kept teens in lockdown in their bedrooms if they were
lucky enough to have a phone line in their room.
With the introduction of cell phones, communication
became portable. As cell phone usage became more and more widespread,
eventually parents gave their kids cell phones so they could more
easily stay in touch with them with the idea that they would be used
less for conversation and more for emergency purposes.
Eventually, almost all teens had cell phones and
service providers began to provide family plans that promoted cell
phone usage and expanded conversation. With cell phone usage in full
swing, providers saw an opportunity to further communication in this
age category via texting; eventually providing unlimited texting for a
nominal additional charge.
While the cost structure of the texting plans has
made them increasingly affordable for parents, for teens, texting has
taken off as the newest, most efficient and immediately gratifying form
of communication. It is a phenomenon that has taken the pre-teen and
teenage population by storm and has left many parents wondering if this
is a good thing.
Texting has virtually replaced conversations on cell
phones among teens at this point in time. Currently, the average teen
is sending between 50-100 texts a day and 250 on the weekend. The
average weekly texting toll is approximately 1000 (making the plans
with unlimited texting indispensable).
Why
has texting become so widely used and why does it appeal so much to the
teenage population? Texting meets all the criteria that are important
to a teen. It's a form of communication that is private, quiet, fast
and efficient. Information can be communicated concisely and responded
to immediately. For teens, there is immediate gratification in this
form of being plugged in 24/7. At all times, they are just a text away.
Teens have long learned how to compartmentalize, and
texting enables them to speak to multiple friends at one time,
eliminating the need to call someone back with needed information. It
also allows them to keep up conversations while doing other activities.
They can text and watch a movie, hang out with their friends and do
their homework. Friends as well as young couples can text all day long
and stay connected to each other without actually having to have a
conversation. It allows for privacy as nobody can hear their
conversations.
As with any new form of technology that impacts
communication, parents are wondering if this is such a good thing. Is
texting an efficient means to an end, or an endless, non-productive
conversation? Is it used as a communication tool such as "meet you in
ten minutes at the movies" or a way to bully or harass?
Texting is difficult to monitor and often becomes addictive.
Teenagers are walking around with their heads down and thumbs moving at
lightning speed. Parents often ask, "Who are you speaking to?" to which
teens often reply "lots of people".
Parents' primary concerns seem to be around the
topic of communication in general. There is great concern that their
teens text so much that they fear they are unable to have a real
conversation.
They wonder what the long-term effects will be of communicating via
text? How will texting impact the ability to have face-to-face
communication, as there is no eye contact, voice inflection or body
language to interpret?
Texting is a major concern especially with
pre-teens. In this age category especially, pre-teens use texting to
exclude or hurt others. As texting is not a form of face-to-face
communication, there is greater opportunity to say inappropriate or
hurtful things. It's easier for kids to be mean to each other via text.
This is an especially difficult period of life for many children and it
is critical that texting be used appropriately.
On the flip side, while many parents share the above
concerns, there are others who feel positively about the benefits of
texting. Parents often report that they can more easily keep tabs on
their kids via texting. Teens are much more apt to answer a text than a
phone call when they are out. They are more open about information
pertaining to where they are and when they expect to be home resulting
in less heated late night communications. The element of privacy allows
them to "speak" freely to their parents without feeling embarrassed or
annoyed while with their friends.
As with any new technology, there are pros and cons.
Our society applauds all new forms of electronic communication. The
real test of success is how these new forms of communication are used
and monitored for teens. The widespread and long-term effects of new
forms of communication such as texting, Facebook, Twitter, etc. for all
children remain to be seen.
It is critical that we as parents guide and teach
our children to use texting appropriately. There are places and times
when texting is unacceptable and those times must be clearly outlined
such as school, the dinner table, etc. Some of these times and places
are mandated by other institutions and others need to come from the
family.
Ultimately, while communicating appropriately is a
life-long learning process honed via trial and error, parents need to
take responsibility to ensure their children understand the appropriate
boundaries while benefitting from new forms of technology.
Do you have questions about texting? Are you worried
about your child? Email Dr. Klein at kleingang@comcast.net. She'll be
happy to answer your questions!
Amy Klein, MSW, has been a practicing
psychotherapist in N.J. for 15 years specializing in the Tween, Teen,
and Young Adult populations. Her expertise is in Addictive Disorders
such as alcohol and drugs, shopping, cutting, gambling and now texting!
She is married and has 4 children ranging from 8 – 17.