The Catalyst

By Kasey Mortensen, Reporter

Teens’ inboxes are deleted constantly, erasing the thousands of messages coming into and out of their phones each day. ABC news did a poll in 2008 and the average number of text messages sent out daily by teens, ranging from ages of 12-15, was around 250 messages. To one, this may seem like an unbelievable amount of texts, but to sixteen year old Paige Horne, this was just a small hump to her obsession.

Horne’s mother told ABC news that her daughter sends around six to seven hundred texts each day; that’s over 240,000 texts per year. Is Paige’s texting habit becoming an addiction? Statistics would say yes.

As generations progress, the increase of teens’ texting addictions have skyrocketed. It causes distractions in the classroom, causes lack of focus, regresses learning and it is a severe safety hazard.

Teachers have recently gained a new responsibility of watching out for cell phones during their learning environments. They either have to ask for the student to put the phone away, if caught using it during class, or simply take the phone into their possession until after school. Texting can be used to cheat academically or to be used harmfully; through things such as cyber bullying during class and students don’t need another type of distraction while in class. Also, kids can’t focus as well if they’re just wrapped up in a whole different conversation while the teacher may be lecturing. Although the lecture may not be as interesting as the conversation on the other line, it is taking more time and effort to comprehend the subject at hand.

Texting is not just a simple distraction in classrooms or at home or work. Texting can be an extreme safety hazard. A study by American Automobile Association showed that 38% of teens admitted to texting while they are behind the wheel. This causes the driver to avert their eyes from the road for long periods of time, even if one has the keys memorized. It causes a variety of distractions and makes the focus on what to say next rather than the next move to make driving.

When forced to make the decision of being connected with the social group and replying to a text or risking endangerment or a ticket, 2 TV News reported that 62% of teens admitted that they would most likely risk a ticket and reply to their text awaiting them.

This issue may seem far fetched or seems as if it wouldn’t apply to you, but this truly is an issue today. In fact, in 2003, Britain began a program for treating patients with phone texting addictions. This is a rehabilitation center, for texting! It seems very outrageous but texting has taken over many teen’s lives.

Shelby Mandeville, a junior here at Fruita Monument High School, admits that she too is a texting addict. Texting during class and during passing periods is a must for Shelby.

“I text until about eleven each night and probably average 12,000 a month,” she said. Texting overpowers the time that should be devoted to homework and other tasks needed to be done. Shelby also shares that she enjoys texting much more than making phone calls or sending out an email. She includes that texting is much faster and seems to be more efficient. Also, one doesn’t have to fully interrupt what they are doing to make a phone call, they can just text the person they need to contact.

Shelby, as many others have as well, started her texting habit in seventh grade, and has been texting more and more ever since. She claims it is a social thing, and everyone is constantly texting. Whether it be the latest drama, plans for the weekend, causal small talk, or who hooked up with who over the summer, everyone always is having constant conversation going. Usually, one is not just texting just one person; one could be texting five people at once!

Like many others, Shelby enjoys texting. During her interview, however, she was texting the whole way through which proves that teens cannot put their phones down for a few minutes and just focus on one task.

So why is texting so addicting to teenagers? A CBS newscaster tried answering that question but had a hard time exactly pin pointing the answer. The newscaster decided to take seventeen year Alyssa Long’s phone for a day and see her reactions. Long claimed to feel disconnected and uninformed. Her cell phone, nicknamed “Antonio”, broke later that week from an accident of being dropped while Alyssa was texting on it in the shower. Alyssa takes texting to a whole new level with this. Alyssa’s mother says that Alyssa’s phone bill has reached over 400 dollars in overage fees and her average amount of texts per month reaches around 26,000.

Texting is causing a huge interference in teens’ lives today. Although texting is a huge issue at hand now, communication in general seems to be an addiction to many, today whether it be through email, instant messaging, phone calls, or simply the old fashion way of writing letters. Our generation has become so obsessed with technology that it is disrupting many life skills and possibly endangering many through either driving, getting feelings hurt, or missing out on learning opportunities.