Imagine this: Texting became commonly available in Finland in 1994; today the average teen sends 60 texts a day, an average of seven times an hour, more than 3,000 texts a month. Which means that…
Teens text more than they talk.
While tapping away might seem innocent enough, there are actually some problems and risks associated with too much texting. Excessive texting is linked to risky behavior, a 2010 study completed by the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine found that too much texting was a predictor of risky behavior like substance abuse, smoking and multiple sex partners. In fact, teens who “hypertext” — send more than 120 text messages per day — were 43 percent more likely to be binge drinkers, 55 percent more likely to get in a physical fight, and 93 percent more likely to report four or more sexual partners.
Personally, as an adult, I can’t understand how anyone could have that much to say.
Self-Definition
Each generation seems to have a defining issue. For my generation it was civil rights and Vietnam.
That defining issue creates our “story,”our self-definition. The parts of the story that stick become “How stupid that old generation was.” For instance, can you imagine…
Child labor?
Women not having the privilege of voting?
Slavery?
The prohibition of alcohol?
Medieval America
More recently, can you imagine…
Sugar considered to be a nutrient?
Cars without seat belts?
Fast food as a novelty?
Can you imagine which values that we hold today will look like the Dark Ages of medieval America to our children’s children ?