OMG! Texting Is So Dangerous!

May 28, 2009 - 3:00 pm By CC Staff

Text Messaging Anyone here remember the 70’s? No, of course not – we weren’t even a blip on mom and dad’s radar yet. But they were there practicing free love and dabbling in drugs and all the other dangerous things they tell us about to keep us on the straight-and-narrow.

The most dangerous thing our generation is doing? Texting, apparently.

The New York Times recently wrote an article (published in their ‘health’ section, no less) about the dangers of texting. The sources scattered throughout the article wail about their teenage son or daughter sending thousands of texts per month (uh…more like per week) and the drastic effects it has on their poor baby’s health.

Seriously, parents and teachers? You’re worried about excessive texting rather than say, drunk driving or hard drug use? I mean, a case of sore thumbs can certainly ruin your day, but I’m pretty sure huffing paint thinner is gonna at least eff up your week.

The article cites problems such as anxiety, distraction in school, failing grades (probably a result of the distraction, I’m guessing), repetitive stress injury, and sleep deprivation. Um, this may just be me, but doesn’t that sound like a normal high school or college student? Hell, even before I had texting on my phone (yes, I was a late texting bloomer), I had a fair few of those ’symptoms’ (especially around finals week).

Let’s get serious, New York Times. Why don’t we set the texting ‘issue’ aside and maybe focus on something else (anything else)? Besides, in the time it took me to read your ridiculous article, I could have sent 17 text messages to my friends looking for drugs or discussing last night’s nooky. Clearly, our generation has larger issues.

Brittney says:
Thu, 28th May 20095:24 pm

Wow.. just wow. I thought the rise in drug use with tweens was what the big wigs were more worried about. Parents these days.

Matt says:
Thu, 28th May 20098:02 pm

While the NYT article was a bit sensationalist, it is fair to note that texting has rapidly increased the last few years. I think even more so with the teens who grew up with cell phones all around them. It’s really changing the way we communicate (indirectly versus directly) as well as interact with people. And to be fair, it also allows kids to keep more of their lives private and trade information faster with their friends than when only the telephone was an option. Because of texting, you check your phone more often than you did if it were just a phone. You generally feel the need to be more ‘connected’; to always have your phone with you at all times. It’s also seen as less intrusive…I have younger cousins who consistently text while they’re playing a board game or something like that.

Willy says:
Thu, 28th May 200910:30 pm

Baby, text me a reals sexy message…mmm

Liv says:
Thu, 28th May 200911:51 pm

I don’t think they have anything to worry about when it comes to texting, except for the dumbasses who type novels to their friends while doing 75 on the highway. Or while driving a train, but let’s not even go there. How frustrating is it that people are wrapping their cars around trees because they couldn’t wait until they were parked to write a text?

Chelzz says:
Thu, 28th May 200911:59 pm

Kno whats dangerous… Testing. Those “You will fail at your fucking life if you don’t pass this” kind of tests.
Thats whats life-threatning, do a article on that, New York Times.

sara says:
Fri, 29th May 200912:42 pm

I don’t think these are dangers of texting in general, I think these are dangers of any obsession. Obviously, most things in moderation are ok. And if parents are really that worried about their kids losing sleep, failing classes etc. because of texting god forbid they’d ever take away their phone or texting plan. Since you know, every third grader has a cell phone now it seems…

The thing I hate the most about texting is how obsessive it is. I leave my phone in the other room to go do something, and as soon as I come back I feel I HAVE to check it. Or when people set their phones on loud while they sleep just so they don’t miss a late night or drunk text. My friends and I go out to dinner to catch up, and all of us have our phones sitting on the table next to us, waiting just incase we get a text. People (myself included) just need to realize that it is not necessary to make yourself available to your friends every second of every day via your cell phone.