How Does Texting Affect How Teens Do in School?

Technological advances improve life for people in many ways. Mapping technology, the Internet and smartphones are just a few of the developments that add convenience to daily routines and enable people to connect with one another more easily than ever. Cell phones also give parents and kids the advantage of being able to remain in constant contact, wherever they are. Sometimes, however, cell phones can hinder teens, especially when used at school.

  1. Focus

    • Phones that beep and buzz from incoming text message alerts distract the concentration and focus of teachers and students alike. Texting in school also poses a safety issue because when teens text as they walk from class to class, they fail to watch their step and trip or bump into other students. A fall down the stairs or into classroom equipment can quickly seriously injure students and cause excessive absences, or damage valuable or delicate lab equipment. Even if a teen is quietly texting with all sounds silenced at her seat in class, her focus is distracted and her academic performance will be impacted.

    Comprehension

    • According to education professionals Tamyra A. Pierce and Robert Vaca, teens who frequently text during school and while doing homework tend to have lower grades than those who do not. Distractions from excessive texting during school or homework have a cumulative impact on teens̵7; academic performance. When they tune out of classroom learning to engage in conversation via text, teens miss important lessons and are unable to learn or master new skills and concepts. The result is lowered comprehension and subsequent poorer scores on homework, quizzes and tests. Additionally, the ability to text in class gives students the opportunity to receive answers and cheat on tests, which might earn them a higher grade, but leaves them without the knowledge the test is designed to assess. If students are caught cheating, they will likely receive a zero and fail the assignment.

    Language Skills

    • Excessive texting has a particular impact on teenagers̵7; language skills. Informal textisms -- the term given to the slang and abbreviated language used in text messages -- negatively impact students̵7; ability to read and write. The problem occurs when teens become so used to communicating with slang and abbreviated language that they are unable to use proper English when writing, which may show up in a student's schoolwork and negatively impact the score, states an April 2012 article published in the "International Journal of Advanced Trends in Computer Science and Engineering."

    Benefits

    • Moderate texting contributes to adolescent development and academic performance in some ways. According to a March 2011 article published in "EDUCAUSE Quarterly," moderate texting leads to teens̵7; improved social connectedness and might also improve academic participation. Some teachers integrate text messaging in the classroom to enhance student learning, such as designing written assignments to require students to ̶0;text̶1; a character from history or literature, or requiring students to collaborate on and share research via text messages.

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