Here is the latest on texting, most notably that the average 13-17 -year-old sends over 3000 texts a month - that works out to about 100 a day. Notice I said "send," not "send and receive." Add in receiving, reading, and writing, and how much time does that work out to?
If you have a teenager with text messaging capabilities, this is probably not a surprise to you. What may surprise all of us is that every age group between 18 and 55 talks on the phone more than the average teenager!
So, what does this mean? First, it means that we are experiencing a profound shift in how teenagers (and future adults) communicate. History shows us that shifts in communication technology have a profound effect on culture and society and even human development, far beyond the aniticipated consequences. For now, though, let's just think about the short-term effects on our children by asking questions such as these:
* Can my child have a meaningful conversation that is longer than "120 characters or less"?
* Can my child read facial cues in communication and understand her own?
* Can my child listen effectively to others, especially over an extended period of time?
* Can my child be "in the moment," aware of her/his surroundings, and fully engaged with those in her/his presence?
If the answer is "NO" for any of these questions, you may want to reconsdier the role that social media, including Facebook, is being allowed to play in your child's life.
If you have a teenager with text messaging capabilities, this is probably not a surprise to you. What may surprise all of us is that every age group between 18 and 55 talks on the phone more than the average teenager!
So, what does this mean? First, it means that we are experiencing a profound shift in how teenagers (and future adults) communicate. History shows us that shifts in communication technology have a profound effect on culture and society and even human development, far beyond the aniticipated consequences. For now, though, let's just think about the short-term effects on our children by asking questions such as these:
* Can my child have a meaningful conversation that is longer than "120 characters or less"?
* Can my child read facial cues in communication and understand her own?
* Can my child listen effectively to others, especially over an extended period of time?
* Can my child be "in the moment," aware of her/his surroundings, and fully engaged with those in her/his presence?
If the answer is "NO" for any of these questions, you may want to reconsdier the role that social media, including Facebook, is being allowed to play in your child's life.
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