Only me Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 I have a love/hate relationship with cell phones. They are great to have but have changed society. I have all 3 of my "kids" on our plan and will keep them on until they graduate from college. Money isn't the issue since we have unlimited texting. I was checking our bill since we had trouble with our internet and I was seeing how much data we have used. I also noticed that my 22 year old dd had over 7000 texts last month and this month has already averaged over 500 a day! On one hand I feel she is an adult and it isn't any of my business on the other hand I'm a bit concerned. She has OCD and I'm wondering if this is somehow related to that. She has a fairly heavy class load and is very involved in leadership in her sorority and other organizations. Classes started yesterday so I'm assuming that she won't have as much time to text. Since she is an adult I don't feel that I have the right to tell her to stop texting so much and that it really isn't my business. I'm just wondering if I should talk to her about my concerns about her OCD and if the texting is related to that. I think at times she doesn't always see the signs that her OCD is kicking in. I do know that she cut back on her meds and I'm leaving that up to her. Sometimes it's so hard parenting a young adult and knowing when to butt out or when they need help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripley Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 I'm not directly familiar with OCD. I do have nieces and nephews who are college aged. They text, they just do. It's immediate. It lets them multi-task. These make it very convenient. They can text between classes, during a lull in a lecture, discreetly under the table during a sorority meeting, waiting to cross the street at a red light, or between ordering and receiving lunch. It just feels like less of a hassle, is how they've explained it. And I've asked! I'll call, it'll go to voicemail, and a few minutes later I get a text response LOL. I think calling is easier, and apparently that's showing my age :seeya:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only me Posted August 28, 2014 Author Share Posted August 28, 2014 I agree that it's pretty normal behavior to text a lot instead of calling etc. I have a 16 and 19 year who also text a lot but not nearly as much. If I'm doing my math correctly this means she is texting on average every 2-3 minutes every hour (I'm assuming 6 hours sleep) so she literally does not stop texting all day. I could be wrong but this seems excessive to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joanne Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Texting for many persons under the age of 30 is communication; it is not meant to only convey important info. It's chatty. Unless life responsibilities are slipping, I would not consider it excessive and I would not mention it or bring it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 For teens, it's comparable to an adult's Talking Addiction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripley Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 I agree that it's pretty normal behavior to text a lot instead of calling etc. I have a 16 and 19 year who also text a lot but not nearly as much. If I'm doing my math correctly this means she is texting on average every 2-3 minutes every hour (I'm assuming 6 hours sleep) so she literally does not stop texting all day. I could be wrong but this seems excessive to me. It seems excessive to me, too. I worry about the physical issues of it - carpal tunnel, etc. But mostly I think it feels excessive because it's not my preferred method. I want to dedicate a set amount of time to a conversation. I do not want it to take place every 2-3 minutes over an hour, interrupting whatever else I'm doing LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only me Posted August 28, 2014 Author Share Posted August 28, 2014 I guess I'm getting old lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 While that sounds like an excessive amount of text messages to me, I think it is fairly typical for a college student. I do not think the average college student realizes how distracted they are by constant texting. Many students use texting as an alternative to email for notifications and some may even be "junk emails." Students may receive text messages that an assignment is due, a professor has posted a new announcement on the online learning management system, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only me Posted August 28, 2014 Author Share Posted August 28, 2014 While that sounds like an excessive amount of text messages to me, I think it is fairly typical for a college student. I do not think the average college student realizes how distracted they are by constant texting. Many students use texting as an alternative to email for notifications and some may even be "junk emails." Students may receive text messages that an assignment is due, a professor has posted a new announcement on the online learning management system, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only me Posted August 28, 2014 Author Share Posted August 28, 2014 Good point. I didn't even think of it like that. Another reason why I like this board-helps me to look at issues from different angles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Since she's in leadership she probably sends out group texts about different events and meetings. That could add up fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cera Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 I can rack up 20-30 texts in a few minutes going back and forth with a friend. I don't think it is unreasonable for a college student to have 15-20 of those short conversations a day, especially if some are work (sorority, volunteer, school) related. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isabella Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 Also, I think a longer text reads as several on the bill. So it's possible she's sending less than it appears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 7000 text messages in a month isn't really very much. I say that having survived 3 teens with unlimited texting and living with a fourth now. You would need to get into triple that many texts in a month to even break the top 1000 users level with our cell phone company. These days, kids don't want to burn their minutes with a phone call. Texting is quieter and they can snap off a text to someone without interrupting the recipient. Answer at your convenience, ya know? If she's active in a sorority, they are probably coordinating lots of activities via group texts, so she isn't just sending, she may be receiving replies from 20-30 other people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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