Thursday, August 26, 2010

The average teen sends 3000 texts a month

Here are some revolting bits of trivia.

Statistics show 80 percent of all 15 to 18-year-olds own a cell phone. And the rate of texting has sky rocketed 600 percent in three years. The average teen sends 3,000 texts a month.

 This apparently fits all the definitions of an addition.

Neuroimaging studies show the same brain areas are stimulated with both texting and using heroin.

Our Older Daughter reports that at summer camp, even though electronic gizmos weren't permitted, some girls were smuggling in cell phones.  She woke up at midnight one night and heard one of the girls stealthily texting.  Midnight, for pete's sake.  At summer camp.

Meanwhile, many teens have a working vocabulary of only 800 words.  I believe there are chimps with a larger vocabulary than that.

These teens are our future, folks.  Perhaps parents should introduce their children to a novel (literally) concept.

12 comments:

  1. Sadly I don't think it ends with teens. Many of my peers (I'm 27) seem to have a hard time writing out difficult words like 'you' and 'are' and will often forget to write some words altogether. Example, a frequent text I receive from one friend in particular is "what doing". I can only take it to be her asking me what I am doing, but apparently the two additional words and punctuation are just a bit too much. She is a collage graduate from a 4 year state university btw. The future is bright.

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  2. Their votes count just as much (or as little, depending on how you look at it) as yours. Isn't it great? (Sigh.)

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  3. Yes, this is a subject that's caused me growing concern for some years now. It's like a raging malignancy.

    When a culture's thinking has become so short-circuited that folks feel imposed upon to perform simple tasks of communication, that culture is in serious, serious trouble.

    And worst of all, it's generally too stupid to know how stupid it is...or to care.

    Thus we have arrived at the point of being subjugated to a government that passes draconian, unconstitutional laws it hasn't written or read and to electing a totally unqualified POTUS whose biggest claim is his racist hatred of our country and his disdain for us, its citizens.

    Funny how that works.

    Oh I'm just a bundle of happiness and light today, ain't I?? lol

    A. McSp

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  4. My 37-year-old niece texts while driving. I have admonished her about this dangerous and needless behavior, but to no avail. I now refuse to ride with her. She also connects the ipod to the car and sets the route for the dashboard GPS, while driving. She is old enough to know better, but I think an addictive personality knows no age limits.

    I must admit, I use the laptop a lot...but not while driving!!!! Driving takes all of my concentration. I can't even talk to a passenger while I'm driving.

    When an engine is running, all those electronic gadgets should be rendered inoperable. Of course, if the offenders behaved like responsible people, such a scheme wouldn't be necessary. Ah, but I know that's expecting too much.

    Don't even get me started on the spelling and grammar issues that revolve around texting. Soon people will be verbally communicating in the same way they text - in grunts and clicks instead of spoken words. It's coming, just a matter of time.

    Anonymous Patriot
    USA

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  5. One measure I have undertaken to buck the texting shortcut trend, is to demand and expect full typing of words. If buying or selling on Craigslist, I'll put that preference will be given to those who actually type out their words; all will be ignored. If I get shortcut texts, I don't respond. Eventually they ask why I didn't text back, and I'll tell them exactly why. If it's too much effort to type out a word, then it's certainly too much effort for me to reply.

    The best way to get rid of bad habits is to demand better behavior.

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  6. i am beginning to think that maybe it all started with the 4 year old kindergarten idea...these kids (most under the age of 30) have never truly experienced childhood, have had their books replaced by calculators and laptops, lost their recess time, not only get their dr. lisences at 15 but get a car too, are given allowances without chores or expectations, have not been taught how to behave in church or public, have no modesty or sense of style....we lost alot when we gave up the two room schoolhouse.

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  7. It is, of course, completely traditional for the older generation to despair at the behaviour of the young. I expect in 50 years time today's teenagers will be doing exactly the same.

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  8. I am puzzled A.McSp by your use of the expression "racist hatred". To which of the many races that make up the USA is the POTUS directing his hatred? Does he "disdain" all citizens or just some of them?

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  9. I came across this--
    http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.74f06613ea91a1f1041b96c96477427f.561&show_article=1
    --yesterday. Apparently, Chinese and Japanese teens and twentysomethings who text a lot are forgetting how to write traditional characters. It's very sad.

    If it's any consolation, I'm 25 and inwardly groan whenever I see that someone has sent me a text reading "wht r u doin." I'm always tempted to reply with "Reflecting on how awesome I am for using correct spelling and punctuation." :P


    http://joyfulbiscuit.blogspot.com/

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  10. "The best way to get rid of bad habits is to demand better behavior."--Beautifully said, Anonymous! I'm going to start using your trick to filter out Craigslist emails too. Great idea!

    http://joyfulbiscuit.blogspot.com/

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  11. Do you mean addiction? I was seriously confused at first, I need more caffeine...

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  12. Your man Obama also and maybe even more so hates the Brits quedula. He believes and the facts back up some of it, that his great grandfather was imprisoned and tortured during their occupation of Kenya. I don't know how he knows this anymore than I know who has been paying his bills all these years.

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