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The Long Term Effects of Text Messaging & Social Media

September 17, 2014 By LovingOurHome.com Leave a Comment

Are your eyes and hands glued to your phone most of the day? Here are some thoughts about the possible effects of text messaging and using social media too much.

Most people look at text messaging as a blessing because our time is precious — we don’t always have the luxury of picking up the phone and having a long conversation with a friend, brother or sister about how our week went. If you call a co-worker simply to tell him “I just emailed you the report,” you might get roped into a lengthy conversation about what the boss did yesterday.

So now, all you have to do is use your text message phone service to drop a note, and your job is done. Have to wish someone Happy Birthday? You no longer have to make a 15 minute long call or rush them off the phone. Just send a text message and you’ve done your part.

But there is a downside to using text messaging and social media as a replacement for human contact. Here are a few possible long term effects from text messaging and using social media too much.

Disconnect with Friends and Family

When you use your text message phone features and social media apps all of the time, you may start to experience a disconnect from the people you love. Since you never speak to them on the phone, over time you may start to distance yourself from your friends, family, and loved ones who live far away from you.

Sometimes you just need to hear someone’s voice. There is nothing quite like speaking to someone, because you can gauge their mood better. Your friend might text message phone you telling you that she’s fine, but in reality she’s crying on the other end. Instead of a text message, a phone call will help you determine her mood and possibly give her the consolation and conversation she really needs to get through the day.

Thumb and Eye Issues

As text message phone use increases over time, people may start to feel the physical effects of constantly using their thumbs to type messages on tiny keyboards. If you send 20 text messages a day, with 160 characters each, over the next 5 years, you will have pressed your thumbs over 5.8 million times! All those presses are wearing on your thumbs over time. So you may want to think about that as you type a 10 page text to your friend about the guy you met at the party last night.

Looking at a cell phone screen can also cause problems with your eyesight. Adjusting your eyes to see very small letters and words on a fluorescent screen for long periods of time can cause a strain on your eyes.

You Miss Life and Possible Connections with New People

I was once walking through a train station and just about every person that I passed had his or her head down looking at a cellphone. When you’re addicted to texting and social media, you run the risk of missing out on connecting with new people out there in the world. You never know if that person you passed while focused on your phone could have been one of your soul mates.

If you use a text message cell phone, do a self-evaluation to see if you’re use can be classified as addiction or obsession. Don’t allow a piece of technology to negatively affect your healthy or your relationships with others.

Posted by Jade

3 Tips for Parenting in the Age of Social Media

June 11, 2014 By LovingOurHome.com Leave a Comment

Parenting in the new millennium has become more challenging for parents due to the rise in social media. Social media sites have become a large part of many of our everyday lives. The Pew Research Internet Project estimates that as of May 2013, 74 percent of adult women and 62 percent of men were users of social networking sites. The numbers are even higher for teens with an 81 percent social media usage rate according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

So as a parent you now have technology bursting at the seams. In addition to all of your other duties, you must now teach your children how to use and navigate social media sites with thought and care for their safety and well-being. They can access these sites from a cellular phone, iPad or laptop just about anywhere. Children don’t know it, but they may face real dangers by having the internet at their fingertips at all times. It is the parent’s responsibility to ensure their safety and educate them on these matters. Here are a few habits and rules that you should consider establishing with your children before allowing them to access any and all social media sites.

Set an Internet Access Curfew

For many school age children, the day begins at the crack of dawn. Your child requires a proper night’s rest in order to perform to his fullest ability while at school. Allowing your child to have internet access in his bedroom at all times of the day and night is a mistake. Your child must be taught early on that internet access is a privilege — not a right. Set a firm curfew when Internet access is shut down for the evening. You can just change the password on your router at a certain hour.

Parental Controls

As a parent, you should understand and utilize parental controls to monitor your child’s Internet activity while she is online. First, have a discussion with your child regarding what social media sites are acceptable to visit while using the internet. Let her know that parental controls are in place. Make it clear that any deviation from the rules you set at this meeting will not be tolerated and consequences will be implemented. When the child knows that you’re monitoring her internet usage, she’ll think twice about visiting certain sites and making certain comments online. Many cell phone companies also offer parental control features.

Discretion and Privacy

When you discuss Internet use with your child, take time to talk about appropriate behavior. Some young children and teens think that it’s perfectly fine to share every detail of their lives online, such as their whereabouts and private pictures of themselves hanging out at parties. They don’t realize that in many cases, your social media presence as a youngster cannot ever be erased from history. Explain the consequences of oversharing, including but not limited to:

1) The possibility of challenges getting into college or finding work in the future if a hiring manager finds questionable social media activity.

2) Strangers can easily save their pictures.

3) People they don’t know (including marketers) can gather private information about them that could be used in many different ways for financial gain.

Parenting is a job that requires love, support, patience and diligence. Children should be taught to be aware of all risks to their safety and future, including those that present themselves on social media sites. They need to understand that giving the world full access to their everyday life is not the best idea. Implement these social media tips for parents and instill healthy Internet usage habits in your child starting today.

Sources:

pewinternet.org/fact-sheets/social-networking-fact-sheet/

marketingland.com/pew-the-average-teenager-has-425-4-facebook-friends-44847

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Are your eyes and hands glued to your phone most of the day? Here are some thoughts about the possible effects of text messaging and using social media too much.

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