Texting Addiction Negatively Impacting Female Teens
There is an interesting phenomenon among boys and girls throughout their academic life. Studies suggest that within the last 15 years, video game developments have drawn the attention of adolescent males away from academics. As a result, females are flourishing in once male-dominated areas.
In a recent University World News report, surveys have been documented that suggest technology is now threatening the success of these females. The last 18 months have seen a significant increase in texting, mainly by girls who seem to have developed an addiction to the activity.
This constant flow of communication is not as much of a problem as the way girls handle the process. The Pew Internet and American Life project has conducted a number of surveys on this subject and has found that one-in-three U.S. teenagers send more than 100 texts every day. These teens, when they receive a text, feel they must respond to it right away.
When these adolescents were asked why they just didn’t turn off their phones, the response was a look of horror. This generation cannot even conceive the possibility of turning off their phone – and thereby cutting their lifeline to their friends.
The Pew surveys also revealed that teen girls aged 14-17 are texting more than boys. Text messaging has become the primary communication method for teens, soaring above e-mail, instant messaging and voice calling.
In addition, 12 percent of all students are able to have cell phones at school anytime during the day; 62 percent of students are allowed a cell phone at school, but not in class; 64 percent of teens have texted in class; 24 percent attend schools that ban cell phones from school grounds, but 65 percent bring their phones to school anyway.
Disturbingly, 15 percent of teens aged 12-17 owning cell phones have received nude or almost nude pictures of someone they know. Only 4 percent of teens owning phones admit to sending sexually suggestive pictures of themselves to others.
Tags: texting addiction
