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Teens Would Rather Text Their Friends Than Talk To Them In Person, Poll Shows (nypost.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the worry-trends dept.

A new poll of 1,141 teenagers shows that teenagers prefer to text their friends than talk in person. The findings come from Common Sense Media's 2018 Social Media, Social Life survey. Fortune reports: Only 15% of teens said Facebook was their main social media site, down from 68% in 2012. Snapchat is now the main site for 41% of teenagers, followed by Instagram at 22%. In addition, this year's survey saw texting (35%) surpass in-person (32%) as teens' favorite way to communicate with friends. In 2012, 49% preferred to communicate in person, versus 33% who preferred texting.

[M]ore teens said that social media had a positive effect on their levels of loneliness, depression, and anxiety than those who said it had a negative one, but it seems to have the opposite effect on teens who score low on the authors' social-emotional well-being scale. Of those, 70% said they sometimes feel left out when using social media, 43% feel bad if no one likes or comments on their posts, and 35% said they had been cyberbullied. They were also more likely to say that social media was "extremely" or "every" important, compared to their peers who score high on the scale.

91 of 142 comments (clear)

  1. Thanks parents by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Thanks parents for (lack of) raising such a shitty generation.

    1. Re:Thanks parents by war4peace · · Score: 5, Insightful

      This has nothing to do with parents. It has everything to do with how society evolves.
      Keep your kid away from socializing online and they will become outcasts and misfits. You'd be proud as a parent and your kid would be fucked up.

      Forbidding is easier than mentoring and guiding, of course.

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    2. Re:Thanks parents by jpaine619 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      This has nothing to do with how society evolves. This isn't socialization, this is turning kids into hermits. Studies have shown that smart phones and social media are addictive. The instant gratification of both boosts dopamine levels.. Pretty soon you get used to those elevated dopamine levels.. That's addiction.

      This and obesity are the two most serious problems facing our citizenry, in my opinion.

    3. Re:Thanks parents by CriticalYetLazy · · Score: 3, Insightful

      On the positive side, this could fix overpopulation within a couple of generations. Having hermits that are too fat too work, shop, have sex, ie. function in general, will eventually eradicate them and possibly their entire family trees. That is, when there's so many of them society can't provide the help they need anymore.

    4. Re:Thanks parents by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      You know this is Slashdot right? A place considered a haven for the stereotype guy living in his parents basement never going out and only communicating via computers.
      This stereotype is for the late baby boomers and gen X.
      Then we also had couch potatoes for kids who just sat there and watched TV all day.

      Preteen and teen years are just brutal. Most of your friends are just kids who have their own problems but are tolerating your presence with them. That is why when we grow up many of our high school friends disappear from our lives.
      Heck texting and social media is probably preferred because it reduces the kid doesn’t blurt out something stupid that will get them made fun of.

      Also of note the article just mentions the amount of time used not what there preferences are. Talking in person is often a difficult being that others can hear yourself on your phone, or just having to travel distance to meet people where you may not have a car.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    5. Re:Thanks parents by Viol8 · · Score: 1

      "Keep your kid away from socializing online and they will become outcasts and misfits. You'd be proud as a parent and your kid would be fucked up."

      Is that what Mark and Evan told you?

    6. Re:Thanks parents by Viol8 · · Score: 1

      "Preteen and teen years are just brutal."

      Speak for yourself mate. We didn't all have mental health problems when we were that age or were so weak and inadequate that peer pressure dictated how we behaved and what we did. I had quite a good time when I was a teen FWIW.

    7. Re:Thanks parents by war4peace · · Score: 1

      So... famine, lack of potable water and crushing poverty in vast regions of the globe fall under rank #3 and below?

      On topic: I don't say I like where Social media is going, but it's a wave you can't stop, however you can ride it, together with your kids, minimizing its ill effects.

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    8. Re:Thanks parents by war4peace · · Score: 2

      Who and who?
      I personally am a forum person. I despise Facebook, Twitter and the like. But I am smart enough to realize my holy crusade would be quite don-quixotesque.
      Instead, I am teaching my kids to use those platforms wisely, understand the dangers, avoid the traps. Will I be successful? I hope. For now, they are too small to understand, instead choosing to trust me with what I am telling them.

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    9. Re:Thanks parents by registrations_suck · · Score: 1

      If you're not going to raise a kid according to your own values, then what's the point?

      Fuck society's expectations - especially the expectations of the whiny peers your child will be competing against for jobs and resources in the future.

    10. Re:Thanks parents by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      So, the average slashdotter. :)

    11. Re:Thanks parents by alvinrod · · Score: 1

      Keep your kid away from socializing online and they will become outcasts and misfits.

      Yeah, but it isn't like anyone talks to the people who aren't outcasts and misfits anyways. They just get texts.

    12. Re:Thanks parents by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Speak for yourself mate. We didn't all have mental health problems when we were that age or were so weak and inadequate that peer pressure dictated how we behaved and what we did. I had quite a good time when I was a teen FWIW.

      In my experience, the people who loudly proclaim how awesome of a time they had in their teens are usually part of the reason why other kids were so miserable.

      Middle school pretty much decided for me that I never wanted to have children, because kids at that age are fucking assholes -- and quite frankly, in my experience, the problem of being that age isn't always mental health, it's the raging bastards you have to go to school with (which *then* impact your mental health).

      Weak and inadequate? Yeah, fuck you ... try having half the hockey team decide they want to beat the crap out of you for reasons you can't even begin to fathom since you've never met most of them and are half the size of any one of them, and one of them is carrying a fucking knife.

      Teenagers are essentially sociopaths travelling in packs. Social media has really just amplified that and made it 24x7.

      Either you were very lucky, or you were part of the problem. The fact that you're so dismissive of what other people went through suggests you were probably one of the assholes.

    13. Re:Thanks parents by DRJlaw · · Score: 1

      Studies have shown that smart phones and social media are addictive. The instant gratification of both boosts dopamine levels.. Pretty soon you get used to those elevated dopamine levels.. That's addiction.

      This and obesity are the two most serious problems facing our citizenry, in my opinion.

      Says the self-satisfied person posting this on social media. Yes, you. Upping your character count does not increase your level of virtue.

    14. Re:Thanks parents by gnick · · Score: 1

      my holy crusade would be quite don-quixotesque.

      quixotic

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
    15. Re:Thanks parents by ranton · · Score: 1

      This and obesity are the two most serious problems facing our citizenry, in my opinion.

      So... famine, lack of potable water and crushing poverty in vast regions of the globe fall under rank #3 and below?

      My guess is that jpaine619 lives in the US, so "problems facing our citenzry" likely means "problems facing US citizens." I agree that lack of potable water and crushing poverty are not the most serious problems within the US. Not because other problems are of greater magnitude to those harmed by them, but because their are relatively few people who have those problems in the US.

      --
      -- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -- Edmund Burke
    16. Re:Thanks parents by ranton · · Score: 1

      Outcasts and misfits? What the hell are you smoking?

      You're insane if you let your kids on social media. All they do is harass and bully one another via such mediums. Keep them off social media and you reduce their target surface.

      And if you don't let them out of the house, you reduce their target surface for a number of physical crimes which they could be victim of. Some bubble wrap could also do wonders to prevent injuries within the home as well. Letting your kids experience such a dangerous world would be insane.

      --
      -- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -- Edmund Burke
    17. Re:Thanks parents by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Found (one of the many) neckbeard(s).
      I bet attractive women suck too because they won't see what a nice guy you are.

    18. Re:Thanks parents by fropenn · · Score: 1

      You're conflating two different issues: the societal issue of how smartphones are changing our culture vs. how an individual best responds to those changing conditions.

      That is to say, we can be upset about how smartphones are changing culture and the damage it does to relationships, but that doesn't mean we have to select abstinence for ourselves or our children.

    19. Re:Thanks parents by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

      Thanks parents for (lack of) raising such a shitty generation.

      The next generation doesn't do things like I did them. The world is coming to an end. They must be bad people- only my way of doing things is correct.

      There is nothing wrong if kids want to text rather than speak. If that's their preference, so be it.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    20. Re:Thanks parents by nasch · · Score: 1

      That was his point. war4peace said "don-quixotesque", and gnick was pointing out that there's already a word for that: quixotic. Though it bothers me that apparently it's pronounced quicks-aw-tic and not kee-hoh-tic.

    21. Re:Thanks parents by nasch · · Score: 1

      In fact, teens today are less vulnerable to crime and car crashes because they're staying inside (and IIRC to STDs and pregnancy because they're having sex less). But they're more vulnerable to obesity and depression.

    22. Re:Thanks parents by Austerity+Empowers · · Score: 3, Insightful

      This has nothing to do with how society evolves. This isn't socialization, this is turning kids into hermits. Studies have shown that smart phones and social media are addictive. The instant gratification of both boosts dopamine levels.. Pretty soon you get used to those elevated dopamine levels.. That's addiction.

      Or maybe this represents a solution to a problem, which is that face to face meetings, particularly with children, but also adults have some problems. Amongst them:

      1) Difficulty arranging transportation
      2) Difficulty agreeing on venue (particularly when parents refuse certain venues
      3) Inefficient use of time when in face to face scenario. I don't know about you, but when I meet with friends I already want it to be over before I walk in, I've got shit to do.
      4) Text communication provides all the actual value of interacting with another human, without messy realities and alpha-pack issues. Online anyone can be alpha, even if in a wheelchair, on a ventillator.
      5) Conversations are slow and painful, you can do other things while they go on, most don't really require tremendous intellect. But it's rude.
      6) You can respond when it is good for you, rather than immediately

      I'm sure I've missed a bunch. While I'm not clear on the dopamine correlation, I'm also not sure that's relevant. If your body is rewarding you for efficiency or satisfying some internal pressure (that may have been artificial to begin with, built in by parents/teachers because THEY thought it was important), that doesn't seem like a problem. Addiction is a problem when it interferes with your obligations or is putting your physical health in significant immediate threat. That's not happening here. If meeting someone face to face is required to keep your job, for example, and you don't do it, then you have a problem. But if it's so you calk talk to Susie about who Sally blew last night...fuck that shit, use text.

    23. Re:Thanks parents by Viol8 · · Score: 1

      "then you must be the exception or perhaps you have/had wealthy parents or something"

      No and no, just normal.

      "Isolated, exiled, social problems, problems at home plus the regular problems of the preteen and teen ages... yep... it was bad"

      Sucked to be you eh? But not everyone had your shitty life.

    24. Re:Thanks parents by Viol8 · · Score: 1

      You really need to get over yourself, you sound like the typical whiny self pitying prick that every school has a few of, blaming everyone except themselves for their problems, jealous of anyone who seemed to be enjoying their life and still bitter years later nursing their grudges like an old whisky and still defined by them.

      FWIW no, I didn't bully anyone, I just got on with things. Perhaps I just went to a school with normal people since I didn't meet many sociopaths there.

    25. Re:Thanks parents by unimacs · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Moderation in all things. Make sure your kids are involved in outside activities. Allow them to have phones but monitor their use and set limits if need be.

      I have two teens and yes, they absolutely spend a lot of time interacting with their friends on social media. Just as previous generations might have spent hours on the phone in the evening. But they also love doing stuff with their friends. I've spent a lot of time shuffling my kids to/from other kids' houses and other places they meet people. They'll use their bikes too if where they're going is close enough. They go to and we've hosted many a sleepover.

      Even when it comes to gaming, which they can easily do from their individual homes, my son often prefers to pack up his laptop, console, Switch or whatever and go to somebody's house with 2 or 3 other guys and spend the night.

      As far as whether they prefer texting to an in person conversation, I think a lot depends on the person, the nature of the conversation, and the context.

      An interesting question to ask would be which choice would they make:

      A: You could never leave your house and you could never have friends over, but you could use social media to your hearts content
      B: You could never use social media again short of getting and sending invites, but you're free to interact with people in person

      There is no doubt that both would be crippling to a modern teen's social life, but I bet most would choose to interact exclusively in person vs never being able to interact in person.

    26. Re:Thanks parents by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      Are Weather Kids even human, and is accommodating them worth the mess? You really want to see what lightning+water does to a computer network?

    27. Re:Thanks parents by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      Newsflash, that isn't how words work.

      When somebody coins a specialized word, regular words that describe the same thing, still also mean the same thing. They do not call for correction.

      Don't be a lame false-pedant.

    28. Re:Thanks parents by gnick · · Score: 1

      I assumed that somebody that would say "don-quixotesque" was unaware of the word "quixotic." If somebody said, "this flower is very fragrance-having," I might suggest "fragrant." I'm not sure I understand your objection.

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
    29. Re:Thanks parents by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      Isolated, exiled, social problems

      Well, which was it? The worst sorts of social problems lead to viewing isolation as a goal, exile as victory!

    30. Re:Thanks parents by apoc.famine · · Score: 3, Insightful

      If you're a dumbass, you'll try and fail to raise your kid according to your own values. If you're at all intelligent, you'll raise your kid to understand your values, but also understanding that your values were formed during your formative years a quarter to a half century ago, and that your kid will never have those same values because the world has changed, and they won't be growing up in the environment you grew up in.

      My kid won't grow up valuing manual labor, because there won't be that much for him to do. My kid won't value freedom at the expense of pain from growing up with a whole lot of scar tissue from trying to jump a sled over a barbed wire fence, from falling down a cliff while climbing in the woods at the age of 12, from a 40mph bike wipe-out on a highway hill, etc. He's not going to be able to survive in the wild for a couple of weeks if he has to. He's just not going to grow up in that world.

      Sure, I could relocate and try to recreate all that shit, but the world has changed so much that it won't matter.

      My kid is going to grow up in a world where pot is legal, and he can smoke it on his 18th birthday. My kid is going to grow up in a world where you can vape discretely at school, but where cigarettes are too expensive to buy. My kid is going to grow up in a world which has pervasive surveillance, but mercifully has at least invented private browsing sessions. My kid is going to grow up in a world where if he can get a visa gift card, he can make an email account and an amazon account and order anything in the world he wants, and potentially get home before me and hide it in his room.

      This world is so vastly different now that there is no hope in instilling my values onto my kid. The best I can do is let him know what they are and where I got them, and try to help him create his own value system, based on the reality of the world currently.

      And if you think "fuck society's expectations" is going to help your kid, you are dead wrong. Unless your kid wants to be a hermit, then that's the right path.

      --
      Velociraptor = Distiraptor / Timeraptor
    31. Re:Thanks parents by jpaine619 · · Score: 1

      Has nothing to do with virtue. And, I'm not a kid. And, I posted from a computer. I didn't do it from a smart phone I'm glued to all day.

      Your statement is so stupid it's beyond reality. I occasionally (1x to 2x a month) have a beer. Do you think I don't get to speak out about alcoholism? A few times a month I might have a bit of weed. Did I lose my ability to comment about those people who wake-n-bake and go through life stoned 100% of their waking hours?

    32. Re:Thanks parents by DRJlaw · · Score: 1

      Has nothing to do with virtue. And, I'm not a kid. And, I posted from a computer. I didn't do it from a smart phone I'm glued to all day.

      No, you're an adult. Posting from your computer every day, usually multiple times per day. Insubstantial differences.

      Your statement is so stupid it's beyond reality.

      Quod erat demonstrandum.

    33. Re:Thanks parents by jpaine619 · · Score: 1

      So... famine, lack of potable water and crushing poverty in vast regions of the globe fall under rank #3 and below?

      On topic: I don't say I like where Social media is going, but it's a wave you can't stop, however you can ride it, together with your kids, minimizing its ill effects.

      Well, I said our citizenry.. I was referring to fellow Americans.. I guess I should have clarified it a bit more. So no, famine, water issues, and crushing poverty do not affect most Americans. They affect some, but not most.

      I'm also not for stopping social media. I was quite clear in mentioning KIDS. Kids are the first generation to have had social media since day one. I think parents need to be made aware, or more aware, of the potential problems that it can cause. Once you make it to adulthood, your time is your time and, generally speaking, I no longer have an opinion on it. Once you are an adult most folks also are somewhat developed. The habits they have they will probably end up having for their entire lives..

      I'll add a closing thought though... Kids can be lazy. There were lazy kids when I was a kid, But I have never seen the level of ... sedentary kids that I see today. Fat kids were also rare. Now... not so much I think.. There has been a major shift in what kids do... I'm not seeing a whole bunch of benefits.. I don't know what the solution is, but I see a problem.....

    34. Re:Thanks parents by jpaine619 · · Score: 1

      My guess is that jpaine619 lives in the US, so "problems facing our citenzry" likely means "problems facing US citizens." I agree that lack of potable water and crushing poverty are not the most serious problems within the US. Not because other problems are of greater magnitude to those harmed by them, but because their are relatively few people who have those problems in the US.

      Yes.. You are 100% correct.

    35. Re:Thanks parents by jpaine619 · · Score: 1

      While I'm not clear on the dopamine correlation, I'm also not sure that's relevant. If your body is rewarding you for efficiency or satisfying some internal pressure (that may have been artificial to begin with, built in by parents/teachers because THEY thought it was important), that doesn't seem like a problem. Addiction is a problem when it interferes with your obligations or is putting your physical health in significant immediate threat. That's not happening here. If meeting someone face to face is required to keep your job, for example, and you don't do it, then you have a problem. But if it's so you calk talk to Susie about who Sally blew last night...fuck that shit, use text.

      The dopamine is a very important factor. It's what creates the addiction. Your body doesn't always reward you for things that turn out to be positive in the long run. Eating a crapload of candy every day is a good example I think. Our bodies crave sugar & fats because they used to be very hard to get and are a good source of short term / long term energy. But, we have unlimited access to both today. Our mental reward for chomping down on a Snickers bar is causing some people a lot of problem.

      These addictions to social media and smart phones are causing morons to walk around with their faces glued to their phones. Seems like every few weeks you hear about someone getting run over because they walked out into traffic while looking at their phone. From the studies I've seen, our brains give us that reward when we post something that is "liked" by our friends.. I'm no expert, and I'm not sure on the exact mechanics... But i have the power of observation, and I see LOTS of kids who are absolutely glued to their phones.

      Right now, from what I can see, there is almost no oversight (by a lot of parents) on how kids are using these devices. Young teens are the most vulnerable to forming life long addictions (in my experience). eg. In my group of friends, the ones who didn't start drinking early never turned into alcoholics. Most of the people I know who are problem drinkers started in their mid-teens. Nearly 100% of my friends who did end up as current, or recovering, alcoholics started drinking around 14-16.

      I've had computers all my life, and a strong affinity for them. But my parents forced me to balance it. I was made to play outside with actual people the bulk of the day. Once I came in for the night, then they didn't care so much. But gluing myself to a monitor from 8AM to about 5PM was forbidden.

      If these kids today don't develop, or lose, their ability to interact comfortably with other people face to face, they are going to have a rough road to hoe. I think it's kind of like drugs.. Yeah, we probably all know a couple people who are functional addicts, but for most people who end up with a drug addiction, life becomes pretty difficult. The level of affinity that some kids have for their phones is... eerie and a little disturbing.

      I'll end with this... I read an article a few weeks ago that was focused on this very topic (smartphones, social media, and teens) and it presented some pretty.... interesting... statistics. I don't recall the exact numbers, but something like only 12% of High School Seniors have been on a date. And, only about 1/3 of current 16 year olds have a driver's license. (These numbers may be off, but the general gist is right). That's.... odd... Among my group of peers, getting a DL was.. everything.. It was freedom.. It was independence.. Most of my friends took the test on their birthday. I certainly did. Spending a day at the DMV on your 16th birthday is what everyone did. Now... apparently not so much...

    36. Re:Thanks parents by jpaine619 · · Score: 1

      There is no doubt that both would be crippling to a modern teen's social life, but I bet most would choose to interact exclusively in person vs never being able to interact in person.

      You may be right.. But if most ended up being 51%... We have a serious problem.. Even if most was 80%, we still have a major problem.. I don't know what "most" is. I would be interested in finding out.

      If I had to make a bet, I'd guess that your "most" is not nearly as large as you might think it is. I'd guess "most" would come in around 75%. (keyword: guess)

    37. Re:Thanks parents by unimacs · · Score: 1

      I don't know what the actual numbers would be. More telling would be to have them actually live each way for few months and decide which they preferred.

      Really my point though was that having 35% of teens saying that texting is their favorite way to communicate with friends vs 32% of teens saying that talking in person is their favorite way doesn't tell the whole story. 33% of teens preferred some other means altogether. If you were to ask about close friends vs any friend or communicating with individuals rather than groups, you may get a different response.

      If you'd asked whether they preferred spending an afternoon with a good friend vs spending an afternoon texting a good friend, I'd bet you'd get a very different response as well. "Talking" is a very specific activity and personally I like my social activities to include talking rather than being focused on talking. To put it more simply, I'd be much more concerned if as a group teens preferred to sit in their room texting all day as opposed to hanging out with their friends. Personally, I haven't seen with my kids that texting their friends has diminished their desire to spend time with them.

    38. Re:Thanks parents by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      I assumed

      There is your mistake right there; you assumed, but then went on to offer purported corrections based on that, which is both lame and stupid.

      Worse, you don't seem to comprehend the difference between matters of literary style, and the correct choice of words. Literary style that is merely different than what you assume you would have written is not any sort of mistake; it is not, for example, a stylistic mistake. Just a different writing style.

      Calling out a writing style as if it is mistaken just shows your understanding of written English is mistaken, if even fully formed. It also prevents you from comprehending the large part of communication that consists of word choices; you leave yourself unable to consider, what additional information is implied by the term "don-quixotesque" that is not implied by the word "quixotic?" Considering that most people don't even understand that "tilting" in that context means jousting, and that the cliche is based on an archaic and out-of-place translation from the source language, there is a huge amount of room for a variety of different meanings and implications related not only to the source material, but to the ways it is discussed in popular culture.

      There could be whole layers of communication that are happening in front of you in your daily life, but you're too busy trying to correct everybody to even understand what subjects are being discussed.

    39. Re:Thanks parents by war4peace · · Score: 1

      Just like TV with the previous generation.

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    40. Re:Thanks parents by war4peace · · Score: 1

      ...which was exactly my point.

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    41. Re:Thanks parents by war4peace · · Score: 1

      Thank you.
      Didn't know that word existed. With English passing 1,000,000 words recently, combined with me not being a native English Speaker, I hope I'd be pardoned for not being aware of its existence. But now I know :)

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    42. Re:Thanks parents by war4peace · · Score: 2

      No, it's fine, I actually appreciate being taught new words. So all's cool.

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    43. Re:Thanks parents by war4peace · · Score: 1

      If you're not going to raise a kid according to your own values, then what's the point?

      The point is to raise your kids according to current society, not the one you were raised in.

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    44. Re:Thanks parents by war4peace · · Score: 1

      I would be insane to let them access social media while unsupervised.
      Social media is and will be part of their lives. They need to learn its dangers and advantages, and I am there to help them figure those out.

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    45. Re:Thanks parents by gnick · · Score: 1

      Trying to be helpful. It's not a very common word, but it's a good fit for what I inferred from your term and has the same origin. Some other guy gave me hell for mentioning it.

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
    46. Re:Thanks parents by jpaine619 · · Score: 1

      Yeah.. Owning an ISP gives me plenty of access to computer time. But, it's a job... And it's balanced... When I'm not posting on Slashdot, I'm probably hiking up a mountain to inspect towers or relay sites.. Half of my time (at least) is not sedentary... That's the whole point of what I've been talking about.. It's not that kids are on social media, it's that they are (some of them at least) spending the bulk of their time on it.

      Simple observations... The proportion of fat kids, when I was a kid, was not this high.. There were a few.. But we are rapidly approaching the point where being fat is the majority..

    47. Re:Thanks parents by war4peace · · Score: 1

      FWIW you are the first :)

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    48. Re:Thanks parents by war4peace · · Score: 1

      I understand both points of view, but I'm leaning towards your side :P

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    49. Re:Thanks parents by gnick · · Score: 1

      The risk of 1-word posts is that they might be read in a different tone-of-voice than they were written.

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
    50. Re:Thanks parents by Austerity+Empowers · · Score: 1

      The dopamine is a very important factor. It's what creates the addiction. Your body doesn't always reward you for things that turn out to be positive in the long run. Eating a crapload of candy every day is a good example I think. Our bodies crave sugar & fats because they used to be very hard to get and are a good source of short term / long term energy. But, we have unlimited access to both today. Our mental reward for chomping down on a Snickers bar is causing some people a lot of problem.

      This is not relevant. As you point out, our bodies often reward us for things in ways which are, by standards of modern technology and society, arbitrary. The fact that we are being rewarded for electronic socialization is neither here nor there. It is a problem when it is a problem.

      These addictions to social media and smart phones are causing morons to walk around with their faces glued to their phones. Seems like every few weeks you hear about someone getting run over because they walked out into traffic while looking at their phone. From the studies I've seen, our brains give us that reward when we post something that is "liked" by our friends.. I'm no expert, and I'm not sure on the exact mechanics... But i have the power of observation, and I see LOTS of kids who are absolutely glued to their phones.

      When I was a kid they said the same about walkmans. There was some truth and some exaggeration in there too. We made it through, walkmans are now a legend. I've also heard of kids being run over while trying to read the actual dead tree books of legend, and one or two being smacked by a subway or abused by the local jocks etc. This isn't a new phenomenon, just a new object. It's also not an example of addiction, this is about being focused on some thing versus watching your surroundings, and is a general safety concern. When we're out on the street, we need to watch our surroundings. Some of us are more inclined to laser focus at a moments notice than others, regardless of the object we're focusing on. My son and I are both dangerous this way. Neither of us even need a physical tool either, we're both capable of being completely lost in our thoughts to the point of putting our bodies at risk. I have nearly been hit by the proverbial bus at least twice.

      Right now, from what I can see, there is almost no oversight (by a lot of parents) on how kids are using these devices. Young teens are the most vulnerable to forming life long addictions (in my experience). eg. In my group of friends, the ones who didn't start drinking early never turned into alcoholics. Most of the people I know who are problem drinkers started in their mid-teens. Nearly 100% of my friends who did end up as current, or recovering, alcoholics started drinking around 14-16.

      Some children are raised poorly, that has always been true. Mine know they get 30 minutes a day during weekdays, and mostly unlimited use on the weekends. This isn't because I'm worried about the evils of the devices, I just want them to get used to using their weekdays for work, school, extra-curricular, chores or otherwise. I don't want them to feel like their obligations are keeping them from their fun, at least for now. There won't be fun, there are only obligations or boredom. When they are older I will of course relax this rule, at some point they need to practice the discipline on their own, but building the habit first I think is a good start.

      I don't know about your anecdote about drinking, there are complicating factors on that unrelated subject. For example, many kids who start drinking young come from families who drink heavily. There are genetic links to alcoholism. I'm not sure we can apply the knowledge gained from that topic to this topic. I am also not sure that gadget abuse necessarily has the same life impact as alcoholism, except in the limited case of using the gadgets while driving... which had been a problem long before the gadgets even had internet access.

      If these kids today don't develop, or

  2. Re:I blame the parents and the adults! by Opportunist · · Score: 2

    You haven't been around teens much, I guess? If anything, teens do the exact opposite of what their parents are doing or considering right.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  3. It's not that by TimMD909 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Kids now a days like to do microtransactions with communication. Calling up and going through pleasantries is a lot of overhead for a short, half-thought. Better to blast small thoughts.

  4. Anybody ever hear of E.M. Forster by 50000BTU_barbecue · · Score: 5, Interesting

    and his short story "The Machine Stops"?

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    --
    Mostly random stuff.
    1. Re:Anybody ever hear of E.M. Forster by McGregorMortis · · Score: 1

      That's was exactly what popped into my head too.

      Imagine if the Internet stopped.

    2. Re:Anybody ever hear of E.M. Forster by Falconhell · · Score: 1

      Im reminded of that story often the way the world is heading.

  5. Old fashioned style by Mundoriego · · Score: 2

    I remember when the only social media was go with your friends and have a good time. No internet on phones, no wifi, just talking and listening. And If you want to spend a time with some people you just go for a coffee or walk in the street with that person. Now we have all this with just a click on screen :( Mundoriego

    1. Re:Old fashioned style by SqueakyMouse · · Score: 1

      To you "old fashioned style" is when there was no internet on phones? Holy crap that makes me feel old. Not only do I remember when there was no internet on phones but I remember when there were no mobile phones and there was no internet.

  6. Re: Brain error by c6gunner · · Score: 1

    I'm pretty sure the article can be summarized as "texting in prison is every important".

  7. text is often more efficient by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I'd rather read a text description of a news event or a tutorial than slog through a Youtube video of some dolt slowly describing it. Likewise a text message is often the more efficient way to send a brief tidbit of data without wasting time on rituals of politeness or getting sidetracked into "hey did you see that show about X" baloney which happens in spoken "communication"

  8. Re:Iron-e by drewlake2000 · · Score: 2

    I would expect this from the mainstream, but this is Slashdot, we should know that you shouldn't take anything you know at face value. It's obvious that the Sun goes round the flat Earth until you investigate them.

  9. Life finds a way by spiritplumber · · Score: 3, Funny
    ITT: Old people yelling at the cloud.

    When I was a teen, it was mostly IRC, then came the various YM/AIM and ICQ (in my country at least, those were a later addition).

    At least now you don't have to worry about net splits or messing up someone's ICQ number.

    --
    Liberty - Security - Laziness - Pick any two.
    1. Re:Life finds a way by houghi · · Score: 2

      When I was a teen, we had to walk to the Telegraph office. Through the snow. Uphill. Both ways.

      Still better than the ones before me who burned, raped and pillaged instead of talking to people.

      --
      Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
    2. Re:Life finds a way by sabbede · · Score: 1

      Interpretive rape and pillage was the SMS of the 10th century. If you wanted to send someone a brief message, you'd hire a band of Vikings to communicate it through the subtle nuances of their raids.

    3. Re:Life finds a way by Falconhell · · Score: 1

      Yourkshire accent:
      That’s nothin, when I were a lad we used to have to catch pigeons, and teach them to fly home. Then we had to do the tiniest writing on the message.
      You tell the young people of today that, and they dooont believe ya.

    4. Re:Life finds a way by sabbede · · Score: 1

      Sigh, these kids today just don't know how good they have it.

  10. No kidding ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I can't tell you how often I've seen two teens sitting on a bench texting and wondered "are they here together, and are they texting each other?"

    Though, I have to admit, some of the more pathetic examples of this are seeing a family of four who have gone out for dinner ... and then all four of them have their faces buried in their phones.

    The extent to which smart phones have made people into zombies is frightening sometimes.

    1. Re:No kidding ... by Admiral_Grinder · · Score: 1

      Or maybe we just went out for the food, and don't have anything to talk about today.

  11. Re:I blame the parents and the adults! by Opportunist · · Score: 1

    Because you're a teenager and don't want your friends to take pictures of your surprised/sad/whatever face and make a meme out of it.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  12. Is that really what it shows? by sabbede · · Score: 2

    I'm just wondering how people are thinking when they answer these questions. Maybe the reason teens would rather text their friend than see them in person is that it would be such a hassle to get Dad to drive them over to their friend's house just to call them a turdmonger when it only takes a second to do so via text.

  13. Have you talked to their friends? by registrations_suck · · Score: 1

    Have you talked to their friends?

    Yeah - I'd rather send them a text message than talk to them too......especially since I have text messaging on my phone completely blocked.

  14. Re: I blame the parents and the adults! by aglider · · Score: 1

    I have three teens.
    They do accordingly to my examples.
    Despite they're good or bad.

    --
    Sent as ripples into the electromagnetic field. No single photon has been harmed in the process.
  15. And the survey says... by jenningsthecat · · Score: 1

    Well, I really don't know what the survey says, because none of the links provided in TFS leads to a copy of the actual survey. Without being able to look at the survey, it's impossible to evaluate the claims made in the overly-slick and somewhat glib 'executive summary'. That summary, in the absence of the actual questionnaire on which its conclusions are ostensibly based, is utterly meaningless and not at all newsworthy. Nothing to see here, move along please...

    --
    'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
    1. Re:And the survey says... by cyberchondriac · · Score: 1

      Pretty much like most of slashdot's summaries then.
      FWIW, my kid is 17, he says snapchat is the big thing at school, but he also goes over and hangs out with his friends almost every other night, so from what I see, it's not so much an either/or thing but a supplemental thing. Texting and social media are certainly easier and more rapid ways to communicate then having to travel across town to talk to someone in person.

      --

      Look back up at my post, now look back down, you're on the Internet. Now look back up. I'm a signature.
    2. Re:And the survey says... by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      You got what you deserved for clicking! Don't read that stuff.

  16. Re:Every important? by Desler · · Score: 1

    No, just BeauHD.

  17. I know a lot of ham radio operators that prefer CW by havana9 · · Score: 1

    I know a lot of ham radio operators that prefers to make HF DX QSO using CW or PSK31 rather than SSB. One could use a narrow IF filter and there's less QRM anyway.

  18. Victorian English by ghoul · · Score: 1

    In other words we are all becoming Victorian English. We would rather write a strongly worded letter than confront in person or send a Thank You note instead of thanking in person.
    Thank god for texting as it is leading to a revival of written communication which had been dying with the onslaught of overly gregarious extrovert types who got out of control with the invention of the phone and the automobile.

    --
    **Life is too short to be serious**
  19. Texting is Multi-Threaded by Thyamine · · Score: 2

    I'm an adult, and texting is a nice way of touching base with friends when you really don't have anything to say. Rather than call up for 15 minutes of attempting to find a conversation, you can send a text, or a picture, or something funny that made you think of them. And it's asynchronous so you don't have to worry if they pick up or not, or listen to a VM or not. Plenty of times a text 'conversation' turns into a phone call, because it's not great at high throughput the way a call can be. Plus when you can touch base with multiple people at a time. How much time did we waste on the phone talking for hours 'about nothing' according to our parents? Are we annoyed because 'kids today' can do it more efficiently?

    --
    I will shred my adversaries. Pull their eyes out just enough to turn them towards their mewing, mutilated faces. Illyria
  20. Re: I blame the parents and the adults! by Opportunist · · Score: 1

    Yes, my dad thought so, too...

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  21. This took a poll? by argStyopa · · Score: 1

    I have 4 young 20-somethings.
    2 are Eagle Scouts, and getting them to actually go IN PERSON to visit local businesses and present their projects to ask for funding was far more anxiety producing and work than the whole planning and project execution.

    2 are daughters, and even when they're having drama issues or trouble getting things planned, if we suggest "well, why don't you just CALL them and get it sorted much faster than text/IG/whatever method they're using?" is met with incredulous stares.

    --
    -Styopa
  22. Instance of Self Centered extremes by bussdriver · · Score: 1

    We all are WAITING for other people to shut up so we can say what WE want to say. We talk at everybody wanting them to listen to us (and maybe settling for them just hearing us) but we try to hide our impatience while we wait for the next chance to talk some more. THINK about it. How often are you waiting for them to finish talking or jumping to summations of what they are expressing getting board having to wait for the next paragraph to come... or thinking about what you are going to say next as they trigger ideas of how you'll say it?

    The culture and the technology promotes modern behaviors that are so normal that most people are completely unaware; it began in the culture before cell phones existed. Technology has catered to these behaviors and amplified them. Our shortened attention spans for example have been significantly amplified; just as our natural sugar high is now exploited with an over use of sugars... in every food.

    Texting kills real conversation; it promotes the self centered side reality of our existence encouraging selfishness in this area; possibly extending into other areas. It feeds the natural urges like the chemicals do but it does not satisfy like the real thing is meant to so we are left feeling constantly hungry. Slow things down, and THINK about the life passing you bye while you frantically try to do more and more as if you have limited time. The Irony...

    --
    Democracy Now! - uncensored, anti-establishment news
  23. Efficiency by TJHook3r · · Score: 1

    A phone call takes more time and more effort than a text. It would be impossible to have contact with a wide group without some sort of asynchronous communication. Plus people rarely have downtime now - they are constantly doing stuff, even if that is Netflix.

  24. Isolation is a self-reinforcing downward spiral by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 1

    The more isolated you are, the more avoidant you are of social contact; the threshold you have to overcome to go out and actually socialize with people F2F gets higher and higher. Then you get what they're talking about here.

  25. Blah, Typing on A Phone Keyboard by Greyfox · · Score: 1

    I suppose speech-to-text has gotten good enough that you don't have to type your texts out anymore. I often get them when I'm driving, though. I suppose I could find a text app that reads them out with text-to-speech too. And it'd be great if I didn't have to look at the phone and could just dictate my response and have the phone send it back. Wait a minute...

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

  26. Re:Not Just Teens by parkinglot777 · · Score: 1

    The only reason I would do texting is when I want the conversation recorded in some form (and it is voluntary by the other). Recording voice on the phone would require more steps to do so (including permission). Text or email is what I want in order to prove what has been said later on.

  27. Re:It's pretty annoying... by Wulf2k · · Score: 1

    Nobody wants to talk with you over the phone.

    Adapt.

  28. Teens? No thanks by youngone · · Score: 1

    Is it any surprise they don't want to talk to each other? They're all awful. I wouldn't talk to a teen either if I could help it.

  29. Things have changed by knorthern+knight · · Score: 1

    > I don't recall the exact numbers, but something like
    > only 12% of High School Seniors have been on a date.

    Society has changed and viruses have evolved. Showing my age here. Back in the mid-1960's 12 and 13 year olds were going on dates and screwing. No problem. Today if a pair of 15-year-olds get caught having consensual sex in a jurisdiction where age-of-consent is 16, they *BOTH* end up on the sex-offender-registry for life. And back in the 60's, condoms were made fun of. If you caught something, a few penicillin shots would cure it in a couple of weeks, and you were good to go. That was before herpes and aids. And don't get me started on "The Sharia Law of Date Rape". It's basically "I accuse thee, I accuse thee, I accuse thee" and the guy is instantly guilty. Is it any wonder guys are avoiding dating?

    > And, only about 1/3 of current 16 year olds have a driver's license. (These numbers may be off,
    > but the general gist is right). That's.... odd... Among my group of peers, getting a DL was.. everything..
    > It was freedom.. It was independence.. Most of my friends took the test on their birthday. I certainly did.
    > Spending a day at the DMV on your 16th birthday is what everyone did. Now... apparently not so much...

    Here in Ontario, Canada, things are extremely different. https://www.ontario.ca/page/ge...

    * age 16; written test and eye exam for "G1" licence, i.e. beginner's permit. Must have a person in front seat who has held a valid G licence for at least 4 years
    * cannot drive on major highways/expressways, unless the accompanying person in front seat is a provincially certified driving instructor
    * after 12 months (or 8 months if you train at a provincially certified driving school) you can do the G1 driver's test
    * if you pass that, you get a "G2" licence. You can now drive alone, etc, but there are still some restrictions if you're under 19.
    * keep your nose clean for 12 months and pass yet another test, and you get the full "G" driver's licence.

    The *MINIMUM* timeline is age 18 without a provincially certified driving school, or 17 years and 8 months with a provincialy certified driving school.

    And a driver's licence means nothing of you don't have a car. Back in the 1960's a do-it-yourself mechanic, or a local garage could keep an old clunker running. With today's computerized cars, only dealers can even read the diagnostics, let alone tune or repair the settings.

    Try to get a used car for under $5,000 today. Oh, and forget about part time jobs at a fast food joint. Adults have taken them as 2nd jobs to make ends meet. And did I mention sky high insurance for young drivers?

    --

    I'm not repeating myself
    I'm an X window user; I'm an ex-Windows user
    1. Re:Things have changed by jpaine619 · · Score: 1

      It's basically "I accuse thee, I accuse thee, I accuse thee" and the guy is instantly guilty. Is it any wonder guys are avoiding dating?

      C'mon... You aren't really trying to convince me that any teenagers are giving sex that much thought are you? I don't know how it is where you are, granted, but when I was a 16 year old, there was nothing else on my mind. I'm pretty sure you could have told me I'd burst into flames 3 seconds after "finish" and I would have still risked it.

      If where you are penalizes two 15 year olds for consensual sex, by putting them on a sex offender registry for life, then you guys have some bigger fish to fry.. That is... insane.. Logically one cannot be a victim and a perpetrator for the same act...

  30. Me too... by antdude · · Score: 1

    ... with any text communications due to my speech and hearing impediments. I wished I was a teen again like I did with dial-ups! :P

    --
    Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).