How texting can be good for your social, mental and physical health, contrary to what’s said about its role in ADHD and spinal damage
We’ve heard the stories of spinal damage, attention deficit and the breakdown of social interactions caused by texting. Now, some experts are citing the positive effects of the thumb-driven communication
Texting is blamed for everything from fostering social isolation to increasing teens’ risk of ADHD to driving down adolescent self-esteem to damaging the spine – a phenomenon known as “text neck.”
But some technological and medical experts say the negativity is unfair and overblown. Texting can and should be a positive force in people’s lives, both in terms of emotional and physical health, they say – so long as it’s done correctly.
If done well, experts say, texting can improve interpersonal relationships, help people deal with traumatic events and bridge intergenerational gaps.
A 2012 study conducted by psychologists at the University of California at Berkeley found that sending and receiving text messages boosted texters’ moods when they were feeling upset or lonely.
Texting eases communication with personal doctors, advances research as an easy and accurate way of gathering patient information in scientific studies, and can offer support to at-risk or suicidal individuals via instant-response crisis text lines.
