First and foremost, a very Happy Veteran’s Day to one and all!
Our hale and hearty thanks to our many veterans and active duty personnel.
May we always remember that freedom is never free.
Turning a corner, I wonder how many of you heard about the new study out this week that suggests teens who text 120 times a day or more are more likely to be sexually promiscuous or use drugs and alcohol than kids who don’t text as often.
The researchers have deemed sending 120 or more messages per day as “hyper-texting.”
So, is there a direct correlation between texting and sex, drugs and booze?
Interestingly, the researchers aren’t making that claim, but they are suggesting that teens who do “hyper-text” are more susceptible to peer pressure – or have absent parents.
From the report:
The study found those who text at least 120 times a day are nearly three-and-a-half times more likely to have had sex than their peers who don’t text that much. Hyper-texters were also more likely to have been in a physical fight, binge drink, use illegal drugs or take medication without a prescription.
In a separate Kaiser Family Foundation study, researchers found that half of all children (8-18 years of age) send text messages on a cell phone in a typical day. They average 118 texts per day. Just 14 percent of the kids reported that their parents established any phone rules at all.
The researchers’ conclusions make sense to me, but I’m curious where, or if, you draw the line as a parent. Are moms and dads who choose not to put any parameters on cell phone use more likely to be permissive in other areas of their parenting?
First, do you even allow your children to have a cell phone?
If so, are they permitted to text, and, if so, do you put any limitations on them?
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