BECAREFULL OF TEXT MESSAGE (SMS)

   Statistics show that texting while carrying out another activity increases the chances of causing accidents by as much as twenty three percent. To stop this trend, several states have now started enforce regulations that prohibits individuals from texting and driving at the same time. Children and teenagers between the ages of thirteen and seventeen are frequently engaged in texting while walking or engaged in a second activity.

   Texting draws the typist’s eyes down to look at a very small screen. This reduces the peripheral span of vision. Often one will hunch over during this process due the lighting situation or to try to type more efficiently. As a result, the typist is not only reducing his active and peripheral field of vision but he or she may be creating muscle strain on the body. Here are some points to consider :

1. The repetitive hand movements of texting can injure the wrist, hands or arms. There can also be postural problems with stressed neck muscles. Repetitive texting could result in eye strain. There are even phrases such as Blackberry Thumb and Teen Texting Tendonitis that are now part of our conversations.

2. Texting is particularly dangerous while driving. Research has shown that taking your eyes off a road at a speed of about 25 miles per hour is equivalent to speeding up and down a football area ten times. As a result, texting and talking while driving just don’t mix. You are risking your own life and the life of the person in the car with you. In addition, you are endangering the lives of other drivers as well as pedestrians who are unaware of what you are doing.

3. A new study carried out by the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine also shows that excessive texting by adults or teenagers can make them prone to risky behavior like smoking, drinking and promiscuity.

4. Professionals in the education field have stated that constant texting can reduce the language, spelling and comprehension skills of children and teenagers. Many people now just use abbreviations and shortened phrases to avoid taking the time to type out a word. People often do not engage in complex sentence structures when sending messages and focus on short, direct sentences.
It looks like text messaging will continue to be part of our culture. Don’t let this replace in-depth and genuine dialogues with another person.

   Be careful about trying to combine two focused activities such as texting and driving or even texting and walking. Texting is fun, but multitasking often results in neither task getting the proper amount of attention that is required. Driving often requires making sudden decisions and acting with good judgment. For instance, a driver in front of you may need to swerve in order to avoid a car part that is on the road. If your eyes are down and you are scrolling through your phone for new messages, you may be delayed in stepping on your brakes. Texting can wait until you have completed your drive.