Too much texting? New York Times looks at increased student text messaging
July 14, 2009
BY NICK YINGLING
When I was in school, time management was an issue. Video games robbed me of my attention span and desensitized me. Then the internet came along, chaining me to a computer for hours. To top it all off, I was incredibly popular and all the coolest people wanted me to hang out and share an Orange Julius with them at the mall. Things are much better now: the video game playing is under control; the 28k modem is gone so I don’t have to spend as much time at the computer; and most of my high school acquaintances are now in jail.
What’s the latest technology threat to the health and well-being of the American teenager? Text messaging, according to this article from The New York Times. Citing the Nielsen Company, it reports that “American teenagers sent and received an average of 2,272 text messages per month in the fourth quarter of 2008.” That number, they say, is double the average from the previous year.
The article then goes on to quote several physicians and psychologists on how this behavior can affect teenagers in negative ways, leading to stress, anxiety, decreased attention spans, and, yes, even thumb cramps. The thing to highlight about this article is that it also mentions students’ classroom texting habits. How do you try to put a cap on students texting in your classroom? Got any tips you want to share? We’ll just keep the thread open in the comment section below.
Texting May Be Taking a Toll
Related stuff:
Help stop cyber pressure: Thats Not Cool
Photo credit: Nesster on Flickr.
I can empathize with Debra Yager, the teacher in Castro Valley. I see many of my fellow teachers with the same attitude. For me it is rather easy to pay attention to what my students are doing, and yes, police them. Honestly I lay down the law from the beginning and tell them that my cell phone tolerance equals zero and my texting tolerance is even lower. I let them know that by texting they are disrespecting me on many levels. Then we talk about respect and it being a two way street, etc. Every September a few new students will test me, but they quickly learn that I see everything. I really think I have far less of a problem than many of my colleagues. At least that’s what I want to believe. 
I’d like to get one of those cell phone signal jammers, but our principal told us, on no uncertain terms, that we were not allowed to implement such a device. Barring that jammer, however, I can’t possibly hope to combat the pervasive cell phone use in my class. I could either address it or I could waste my time and energy by stopping to have a dozen different confrontations with kids who refuse to turn over their phones. I’m choosing now to ignore it; I’m choosing to let them fail themselves. And they are. At unprecedented levels.
Paige and Josh, thank you both for your comments.
Paige, which grade(s) do you teach? I would imagine that a younger student might be easier to convince to stow away the cell phone.
Josh, have you ever run into incidents of students texting answers to one another?
Stopping In Class Texting is easy!
At my school, like most we have a rule that cell phones must be in backpacks all day long in order to prevent texting and the like. I think we all know this doesn’t work. Here’s what I propose. At the beginning of every class period, require your students to take their phones out of their backpacks and place it in front of them. They can’t touch it all period long. This keeps them from sneaking it under their desks and things like that. Just simply require them to have it out and in plain site all class period. Easy enough.
