Why Teenagers Text So Frequently

Entertainment

• Ten years ago, if a teen was bored, turning on the television or playing a video game was often a first line of defense. Today, the ever-present cell phone is a handy way to nip boredom in the bud, no matter where you are. Just like many adults, teens turn to texting while waiting for a friend, listening to a boring lecture or standing in line. Don't assume your teen is always wasting time while texting, however. The Pew Research Center reports that 70 percent of teens have texted about schoolwork.

Avoidance

• Sometimes texting is a form of avoidance, notes child psychologist Melissa Ortega in a December 2011 article on HuffingtonPost.com's ScreenSense. Teens may use texting to avoid having difficult conversations with both peers and adults. When your teen ignores your request to call home -- instead, sending you a text saying he'll be late -- it's a good bet that he doesn't want to hear your admonitions about staying out on a school night. He may also use texts to avoid difficult conversations with peers. For example, he might feel more comfortable texting to ask a girl out on a date than he would be asking in person or on the phone.

Social Connection

• Texting has replaced phone conversations in the lives of many teens. The result is that teens who otherwise may have spent hours chatting with their friends on the phone are instead using that time to text. Texting also allows teens to connect with people they might not otherwise feel comfortable contacting. For example, a teenage girl might feel too intimidated by the idea of giving her crush a call, but perhaps she is comfortable sending him a text letting him know that his favorite band is going to be in town next month.

Avoiding Risks

• Chances are, your teen isn't going to stop texting anytime soon. But you can help her reduce the chances of suffering ill effects from doing so. Make it clear to your teen that texting while driving is dangerous and unacceptable, and then create and enforce appropriate consequences for doing so. Don't be afraid to talk about "sexting," either. Explain to your teen that sending nude photos via text is a crime in many states and that, in addition to a police record, sexting can lead to excruciatingly embarrassing situations. Also insist that she turn off her phone at night so that she can sleep without the interruption of text messages. Teens need their sleep just as much as younger children.