Srsly! Teenager sent 14528 texts in a month!

<off topic> What does "OP" stand for?
 
Nika said:
Hear Again, I have actually been saved from gang rape by using my cell phone. So it's actually possible for a phone to save your life.
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if a cell phone only has the capacity to dial 911, i have no problem with a teenager owning it.

however, too many teenagers abuse the privilege of having a cell phone. that's what i have a problem with.
 
Hear Again said:
if a cell phone only has the capacity to dial 911, i have no problem with a teenager owning it.

however, too many teenagers abuse the privilege of having a cell phone. that's what i have a problem with.
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Right so then it's the abuse of the privilege. I'm sure you would have an issue if your teenager abused something else too, like playing video games all day. So the problem isn't with the cell phone or the video games, it's with the inability to resist abusing privileges that are given. Isn't that where the real problem lies?
 
Nika said:
Alcoholics wouldn't have had any problem if they were never exposed to alcohol. Sex addicts would never have a problem if they were never exposed to sex. Addiction is a behavior pattern. What you become addicted to is pretty insignificant, and I've seen people who had one thing taken away because of addiction just find something new to become addicted to. Who knows, maybe she would have been addicted to video games instead. Or the Internet.
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if the 13 year old girl had been addicted to video games or the internet, she wouldn't have incurred an excessive phone bill, would she? some addictions are less harmful than others as has been proven with the article the OP posted.
 
Nika said:
Right so then it's the abuse of the privilege. I'm sure you would have an issue if your teenager abused something else too, like playing video games all day. So the problem isn't with the cell phone or the video games, it's with the inability to resist abusing privileges that are given. Isn't that where the real problem lies?
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no it doesn't because if it weren't for cell phones, we wouldn't have to worry about having excessive bills in the first place. remove the cell phone, remove the addiction.

besides, not everyone who has an addictive behavior resorts to another type of addiction when their first addiction is removed.

you and i are going to have to agree to disagree on this, nika.
 
Hear Again said:
if the 13 year old girl had been addicted to video games or the internet, she wouldn't have incurred an excessive phone bill, would she? some addictions are less harmful than others as has been proven with the article the OP posted.
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That's true but it's still a behavior pattern. Plus being addicted to video games is really bad for you in other ways. Since most video games are highly visual, it's taxing on the visual system. It increases the chance of CTS. It affects posture negatively. Etc. This girl also has a chance of developing CTS, which I think is a much worse downside than having to pay off a bill. CTS is something she will have to deal with the rest of her life if she develops it.
 
This teenager wasn't "addicted" to the cell phone. I think that's too easy of an excuse for her behavior (and a bad one). She was irresponsible with the blasted thing. :roll:
 
Oceanbreeze said:
This teenager wasn't "addicted" to the cell phone. I think that's too easy of an excuse for her behavior (and a bad one). She was irresponsible with the blasted thing. :roll:
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Isn't that what addiction is?
 
Nika said:
That's true but it's still a behavior pattern. Plus being addicted to video games is really bad for you in other ways. Since most video games are highly visual, it's taxing on the visual system. It increases the chance of CTS. It affects posture negatively. Etc. This girl also has a chance of developing CTS, which I think is a much worse downside than having to pay off a bill. CTS is something she will have to deal with the rest of her life if she develops it.
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not if she has surgery and takes care to not do the things that caused cts in the first place.

there are negative aspects to *any* behavior -- not just video games.
 
Nika said:
Isn't that what addiction is?
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irresponsibility does necessarily mean addiction. one can be irresponsible with paying their bills, but you don't call that an addiction. one can be irresponsible with keeping one's living space clean, but you don't call that an addiction. one can be irresponsible with letting friends or family members know where they are, but you don't call that an addiction either. let's not call every behavior an addiction because not all of them are.
 
Nika said:
<good posting> It's about finding a balance. Anything can be abused. This example is of a teenager abusing her cell phone use. The problem isn't the cell phone, it's the addiction. She's addicted to it. You can become addicted to anything.
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Thanks.

Addiction can be harmful but in this particular case, It was full blown because she was not given the attention to be told to tone it down.

I also have to wonder - Since the article mentioned that she was texting every 2 minutes of her waking moments; That clearly should have shown her actions by ie; being behind in her homeworks, grades that are falling down, not being able to keep up with her activities that are incorporated in her daily routine. It is not too hard to notice these changes and it makes me wonder how easily it could have been missed when the parents were not exactly monitoring her actions?
 
for all we know, perhaps the parents did see all of the signs, but chose to do nothing about it. there are some parents who never take action when their children's grades are suffering, etc.
 
Hear Again said:
not if she has surgery and takes care to not do the things that caused cts in the first place.

there are negative aspects to *any* behavior -- not just video games.
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That's what I'm saying. Any addiction has negative effects. It's not about the thing someone is addicted to, it's about the behavior pattern and the negative effects, whether it's texting or drinking.
 
I allow my daughter to have a cell phone.

Unlimited Texting. She averages about 1,000 texts a month.

She does really well. I do not allow her Texting interupt dinner time, or chores.
I allow her to do so on her free time.
 
Babyblue said:
I allow my daughter to have a cell phone.

Unlimited Texting. She averages about 1,000 texts a month.

She does really well. I do not allow her Texting interupt dinner time, or chores.
I allow her to do so on her free time.
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1000 txts!?!? :-o kids these day.... I think mine's average around 200/month? lol
 
<laughs> Mine average... zero a month! My phone bill is ridiculously cheap. Cause I hardly use my phone.
 
Jiro said:
1000 txts!?!? :-o kids these day.... I think mine's average around 200/month? lol
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Babyblue must have used these good unlimited deals for 24.99 a month or something?
 
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