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“Cell phones have become the way to circumnavigate a variety of parental controls,” said Ashish Patil, a vice president with MTV India, which researches youth trends. With cell phones, communication is private and individual, he said. He quoted an Indian teenager as saying, “On the landline, mom would answer my calls. But boys can call now on the mobile phone, and we talk 'til late at night.”
In crowded, populous India — where dating is still taboo and public display of affection is a big no-no — the cell phone is extending the possibilities of romance for a whole cloistered generation. It is becoming a symbol of freedom from parental power and a rite of passage in urban India.
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American teen-agers sent and received an average of 2,272 text messages per month in the fourth quarter of 2008. That averages out to about 80 messages a day, which is more than double the average from last year.
That number is spurring concern among some health professionals, who think texting is causing anxiety, sleep loss, distraction in school, falling grades and repetitive stress injury among youngsters.
Allyson Havill, an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing and a psychotherapist in private practice, has seen the effects firsthand.
"Teens are starting to bring up texting in therapy sessions as measures of social standing," Havill said. "It can have positive or negative effect on self-esteem."
On one hand, texting helps teens feel socially connected and lets them share their experiences instantly, leading to a boost in self-esteem. On the other hand, if teens feel left out or disconnected, texting can lead to anxiety and feelings of sadness.
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