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Text Messaging Addiction? How much is too much for a teenage 16 year old?
My brother's daughter text messages all the time. She's an introverted, pretty, athletic 16 year old girl. She's very popular with the boys because of her looks and confidence. My brother said that she texted 10,000 messages one month during the fall months. I don't know if this was on a weekend day or during a school day, but I believe it was on a weekend day where she had all day to stay on her phone. Is this excessive text messaging? At Christmas, my family spent a few hours with their family and I noticed that my niece was on her phone text messaging constantly. She never looked up to smile for me when I was taking pictures. Is there a way to "broadcast" a text message to a big group of friends simultaneously? If there is, maybe that's how she managed to rack up so many text messages. I don't know anything about text messaging except the absolute basics so I really need your advice on figuring this thing out. I'm worried that my niece may be doing some harm to herself emotionally with all this texting, texting, texting. She just got her drivers license plus a new car. I'm worried about her texting and driving. What do you think about this situation? Is she a text messaging addict????
Thank you for your very helpful advice. I have a bunch of pictures I took at a holiday event and my niece is looking down at her phone in every single picture. She's either reading her phone, or sending a text. I even have a picture of her doing the old "talk to the hand" where she's looking at her phone and holding her hand up at her older brother. She didn't want her older brother to interrupt her while she was in the middle of sending a text message. I think I'll edit these photo's and upload them to Facebook. Then again, maybe I shouldn't. Her parents would be really embarrassed if I posted these incriminating photo's. Thanks again for your advice everyone!
5 Answers
- 1 decade ago
Well, I only text about 3,000 a month so I can only imagine how much she must be on the phone if she's texting 10,000.
My dad also texts nonstop and it's really annoying so it hits everyone. My advice is talk to her first. Most teenagers (as in me included) get upset when a parent or adult figure tries to go to the extreme without even talking to the child first. Most of the time we might not even know this is bugging you so much. Set time limits such as no texting after 11, at the dinner table, or when there is a family event. If that doesn't work consider taking away the phone away for a certain amount of time. She'll probably be upset but if you're really concerned for her I'm sure she'll understand in the long run. Hopefully this helps!
- GretaLv 71 decade ago
When you're addicted to something, that something interferes with your life. If doing that something, which in this case is texting, gets in the way or stops you from doing normal things, it's an addiction.
So, I'd say she was either addicted or pretty darned close to being addicted to texting.
When I was 16 I was CRAZY about text messaging...my mom thought it was just cause it was my age that I was sending more than 20,000 texts per month. That was ridiculous looking back. I don't even know who I was texting or what I was saying, but 20,000. Good lordy. I would text at school (which probably interfered with the quality of my school work) I would text at home (interfering with my relationships) I would text when I was out with friends (again interfering with relationships). I would say I was probably addicted to texting. Thankfully, that was just a stage in my life.
Your brother's daughter (niece?) needs to get a limit put on her texting. Or her parents need to block it so she can't text at school. Or make a "no texting at dinner" policy.
- 1 decade ago
It sounds like a common case of ATT (Addicted To Texting).
Joking aside, she sounds pretty obsessed. I once went $100 over my texting limit, and got in huge trouble. Is there any form of punishment for too much texting?
Hide the phone. I'm so serious, it works sometimes.
Try and have a discussion with her about how you feel, and about the dangers of texting while driving. Your niece could end up taking a life!
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