International journal of adolescent medicine and health
-
Int J Adolesc Med Health · Jan 2011
Text messaging: one step forward for phone companies, one leap backward for adolescence.
The increasing popularity of text messaging has made this mode of communication the preferred interaction portal for teens. Virtually every teenager has a cell phone with an unlimited text messaging plan. Text messaging easily facilitates communication between individuals without much interruption into daily life. ⋯ The anxiety and uneasiness felt by early teens about speaking with others has led to deficits in the ability to communicate in social settings, which could prove troublesome later. This study looks at only a few developmental issues associated with text messaging use among teens. It would be relevant and appropriate to study other ways that text messaging affects our youth in addition to exploring the more long-term effects of using this technology.