Teenagers+and+Texting

=TEENAGERS AND TEXTING=

//Image Source: about.chacha.com//

With a phenomenon as pervasive among young people as mobile text-messaging has become, it is inevitable that debates would arise regarding the effects it has on learning. The jury, not surprisingly, is divided.

On one side, there are the numerous psychological studies indicating that texting can become an unhealthy addiction for teenagers, distracting them from their studies, preventing them from eating and sleeping, and even hindering their ability to socialize naturally in non-digital environments.

On the other hand, there is at least one influential study indicating that, all other detractions aside, texting may actually be beneficial to the acquisition and development of literacy. Advocates of this perspective choose to see texting as a natural (albeit technologically-driven) advancement of the language, which one must either embrace or be left behind.

Like all technology, however, texting may be viewed as a double-edged sword: one that cleaves the way in some directions, but not without severing some limbs in the process. To gain a taste of the debate surrounding this embattled subject, the following articles may prove illuminating:

THE NAYS: Teens and texting – health risks: [] Study - Teens prefer texting to talking: [] Texting takes a toll: [] Teen texting addiction: []

THE AYES: Texting helps literacy: [] Debunking the Myths video: []