Texting The Time Away

by Elana Blank

T‘hey, wats up?” “nm u?” “n2m...wats the math hw?” “p. 101 # 20-28” “thnx, cu tmrw” “k, gnite <3”
Text messaging is an integral part of students’ lives and their ability to communicate. One area of life that text messaging has affected is school and schoolwork. Students have brought texting into schools, and continue to use their cell phones while doing schoolwork at home. In terms of academics, is texting a help or a hindrance to teens?

There are some definite benefits for students who text message while doing homework. One example is the simplicity with which students can get an assignment. Thanks to texting, we can quickly SMS (short message service) friends to ask about the Hebrew homework as opposed to calling them

and schmoozing. Text messages are brief and straightforward, ensuring that the response we receive will be just as direct.

“I’d rather text because it’s the fastest way to get information,” said Brittany Hirsh, a sophomore at Wantagh Senior High School in Wantagh, L.I.

Texting encourages teens to multi-task, a skill that we are good at and are accustomed to doing. For example, if a student is working on the computer then he or she can send a text from the cell phone and remain focused on homework while waiting for a response.

In addition, text messaging provides a social convenience that adults rarely realize but which is important to teens. If a student needs help in a class which none of her good friends are in, it can be awkward for her to call someone with whom she isn’t close. She can get someone’s phone number from Facebook or from another friend and text them for help. The informal nature of texting allows her to casually contact an acquaintance and get whatever information she needs without being put in an uncomfortable situation.

However, texting does have its drawbacks. For some high schoolers, sending and receiving texts can be distracting while they’re trying to work. Students are more likely to respond to a text message while they’re working than to answer a phone call because texting is fast and easy. The potential problem is that these texts can lead to full-blown conversations about anything, affecting students’ work quality.
The temptation to be connected with friends all the time leaves some teens texting almost nonstop, although at times this can be very inconvenient. While a high schooler will realize that it’s inappropriate to call a friend’s house at 3 a.m. that same student probably won’t think twice before sending a text message in the middle of the night. Many teens sleep with their phones right next to their heads, meaning a late night text can interrupt us if we forget to silence our phones.

A hot topic is when, if at all, students should be texting during the school day. Many of the teens I interviewed said they couldn’t manage in school without their phones. Cell phones have become a vital tool for high school students who need to find time in their busy days to be in touch with countless amounts of people, including their parents. Whether coordinating dismissal schedules and after-school plans or relaying their latest test score, teenagers find texting their parents from school to be a huge help.

“It’s important to be able to contact my parents throughout the day without using a school phone,” said Owen Schreier, a junior at the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester. While schools usually allow students to use school phones for certain reasons, sometimes teens need to contact their parents about things they don’t feel comfortable talking about on the centrally located school phone.
In addition, the ability to get in contact with virtually anyone at any time becomes important during a family crisis. I experienced this last May when my cousin was in an accident but I was studying in Jerusalem for the semester. Since I was unable to physically be with my family in New York, I used text messaging to receive news.

Elana Friedman, a junior at Alexis I. duPont High School in Greenville, Del., agrees. “Texting became really useful for me when my sister was in the hospital and I wanted to be constantly updated on her condition.”

Surprisingly, a majority of the 10 students I interviewed only text at lunchtime and during free periods. “I usually text my friends after class lets out so I can meet them, but I never text from class,” said Caitlin Brockell, a sophomore at the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester.

Text messaging is a quick and easy way to stay in contact with out-of-school friends. Many teenagers are simply too busy to keep in touch with the countless people they meet through summer programs, after-school activities and youth groups. The ability to send a quick text during the day just to say “hi” is really important. Texting enables us to feel supported by our friends and know that, should we want to reach them, we will be able to do so instantly.

Not all teens are addicted to texting. “During school, I feel that I should be completely focused on school. When I see people texting in class, I wonder why they’re not doing schoolwork,” said Aaron Schluger, a junior at the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester.

Others say that their days are stressful enough without adding text messaging to the mix. “I don’t have any use for [my phone] during the day,” said Shelly Seidemann, a freshman at the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester. “I’m running from class to class and I think it’s pointless to text people.”
Text messaging has also been used by students as a method of cheating. One junior at a day school in New York described texting friends across the room during a history exam. “One of the reasons we don’t allow students to use cell phones during the school day is because of concerns regarding academic integrity. Students could otherwise text each other answers to test questions or other notes which would distract students’ learning,” said Eric Bassin, dean of students at the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester.

Text messaging has become a very important part of the modern student’s life. School rules that prohibit texting in school will continue to be broken and high schoolers will continue staying up until all hours to text from their beds. I say this not from the vantage point of a rebellious teenager but from that of a student with a sense of reality (and an unlimited texting plan). Text messaging will continue to play an important role in the lives of teenagers no matter how much it is supported or opposed by parents and schools.

Elana Blank is a junior at the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester in Hartsdale, N.Y.

Signup for our weekly email newsletter here.

Check out the Jewish Week's Facebook page and become a fan! And follow the Jewish Week on Twitter: start here.

Westchester Jewish Conference

Westchester’s Jewish Community Relations Organization