As social creatures, humans have an ardent need to communicate with one another. The advancement of technology has brought with it multiple modes in which to satisfy this innate desire. A popular method of contact is the convenient text; however, excessive text messaging has a negative impact on the physical and social well being of our society.
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| Fig. 1: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "Wish You Were Here" Digital image.LDS.org. The New Era, July 2088. Web. 5 Nov. 2011. |
Teens and young adults are forgetting how to communicate face-to-face. For many, texting is much easier than talking in person because it requires less effort in regards to emotional engagement and sophisticated vocabulary. In fact, “Many young people would rather exchange text messages than have a conversation the old-fashioned way: chatting on the phone, or even talking in person” (Gormly). Not only is the rising generation losing vocalizing skill because of the preference for texting, they are also trivializing relationship-building activities (see fig. 1). It has become such a constant compulsion that many people text during important events like family dinners, school, meetings, and even weddings! The future does not look bright for personal or vocal communication, which has been a cornerstone of worldwide communities for millennia.
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| Fig. 2: Texting while driving. Digital image. Atlanta Personal Injury Lawyers Blog. Victor J. Faenza, 3 Sept. 2009. Web. 4 Nov. 2011. |
Moreover, texting is placing our physical health in the path of danger. Texting while driving is often the first hazard that comes to mind (see fig. 2). “In 2009, more than 5,000 people were killed and nearly 450,000 were injured nationwide due to distracted driving accidents” (Reinke). Clearly, the inclination to text while driving is a public health concern. Additionally, texting has the potential to disrupt sleep patterns because the silent conversations are easy to extend late into the night even when a roommate is sleeping five feet away. Also, many people use their cell phone as an alarm in the morning, so they do not mute their phones at night, and there is a “constant ding of …incoming message[s]” (Fortenberry) when one is trying to rest. Doctors have warned that lack of sleep increases a person’s likelihood to develop depression, anxiety, and even drug abuse (Fortenberry).
In summary, although the ability to use text to quickly communicate with others can be useful, serious consequences can result from unchecked amounts of texting. Reliance on socializing through text will lead to restricted face-to-face interaction skills, and distracting messages are likely to cause health risks. If only texters would realize how important it is to back away from excessive use of this technology, society would be physically safer and socially stronger.
Works Cited
Fortenberry, Ted. "Consider This: Teen Texting." WMBFNews.com
WMBFNews, 3 Nov. 2011. Web. 03 Nov. 2011.
Gormley, Kellie B."Do u text 2 much? Teens losing face-to-face communication skills." Pittsburgh
Tribune-Review [Pittsburgh, PA] 24 Aug. 2009. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context.
Web. 2 Nov. 2011.
Tribune-Review [Pittsburgh, PA] 24 Aug. 2009. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context.
Web. 2 Nov. 2011.
Reinke, Joseph J. "Texting Teens Lead Distracted Driving Trend." U.S. Politics Today. EIN
Digital News, 3 Nov. 2011. Web. 4 Nov. 2011.
You had very supportive evidence for your arguments and I liked your personal thoughts on the impacts of texting. I liked how you structured your paper and I thought you did a very nice job tying everything together. Your transitions were smooth and your entire article covered the topic well. Good job!
ReplyDeleteI love it! I liked how your main argument was losing face-to-face communciation. Although the accident rates are extremely high and terrifying, I really think "old-fashioned" communication is important. Even though I myself would rather text than call on many occassions, I miss the times, even though I was little, when the phone was on the wall at home and people called or came over to talk. The health issues and the other reasons are so real that it makes me want to stop texting as much.
ReplyDeleteI think this idea is something that many people know is a problem, but refuse to change. You did a great job at explaining and supporting the dangers of texting. "Old fashioned" communication is disappearing, and that really will harm our society. You could expand upon the possible overall effects of the harms of texting in the future. Your title was also very creative. Great work! After reading your post, I have resigned to text less and communicate face-to-face more.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your article and the stance you've taken. Texting while driving can be so extremely dangerous, and yet people seem to have such a relaxed attitude about it. Several times in high school I was in the passenger seat, and the driver would pull out their phones and say "I know this is dangerous but I really need to answer this text." It completely boggled my mind. Is replying quickly to a text-message really worth the risk of getting in an accident and being seriously injured? Perhaps you could cite information on how texting while driving is just as bad as being a drunk driver, I know there's been some research done on that which you could use to help strengthen your argument even more.
ReplyDeleteAlex:
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words. I am glad you appreciated the organizational aspects that I worked hard on, and it is reassuring to hear that my argument is understandable and convincing.
Shelliece:
Thanks for that imagery of the old phone hanging on the wall or a neighbor stopping by, I think I may just use that to create pathos in my extended paper!
Emma:
I am so glad I was able to inspire you to talk face-to-face more often! That is my whole purpose in writing. Thanks for your suggestions, I definitely will be investigating other ways texting has harmed us. I'll have to look into reasons WHY people refuse to fix this problem, like you said, because that in and of itself is a very interesting idea.
Marissa:
Thank you for your comment! That is excellent advice, and I think that research would strengthen my claim immensely. Also, thank you for that personal example, I may use it loosely as an example.