The Negative Effects Of Texting And Social Communication

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A recent survey indicates that of the seventy-three percent of American adults that text, young adults between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four send an average of 105.5 text messages each day(Lou). Teenagers and avid supporters might call it the most natural form of daily communication, while some scholars and researcher have referred to it as a “pervasive form of communication” (Pascual-Ferrá, Liu and Beatty). The art of texting has certainly modified, and arguably improved the way we as a society communicate. In this paper I argue that while texting has undoubtedly been an important addition to communication, its detriments to our society as a whole far outweigh its usefulness. Texting dissuades healthy relationships and communication, deters learning and information retention, and is rapidly becoming one of the leading causes of fatalities caused by distracted driving.

There have been numerous studies that link text messaging with anxiety and social disorders. While texting might be in effect a more convenient form of communication, it has been shown to have an adverse effect on the construction of social relationships. For example, data collected by a group of communication researchers showed that rather than creating more emotional ties using texting and instant messaging, adolescents are using texting to create distinct worlds of social media (Lou). Furthermore, teenagers are even more dependent on their mobile phones, expecting that their close relationship and friendships will be sustained through frequent text messaging (Lou). This behavior is unhealthy because it staunches growing social communication growth in adolescents.

Teenagers now feel like they have to have their mobile phones on them at all times in...

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...cus on the road and texting at once because texting has become such an inherent part or our culture as a whole. The issue of texting and driving is a national epidemic, and not one that has a simple solution. Research suggests that it is no longer just a distraction, people are dependent on their phones to the point of addiction. According to an article published by The Boston Globe, people who habitually use their cellphones in daily life have a harder time stopping themselves from responding to it when they’re behind the wheel (Neyfakh).

There cannot be a clear dichotomy between the positives and negatives of texting. Trying to argue that would be ludicrous, as texting certainly has its positive attributes to it. The point of this essay is not to argue that text messaging is bad for our society, but to call attention to the negative effects most people overlook.