Disadvantages of Texting

Texting on the phone while driving can be a very dangerous thing to do. As someone looks at the phone and concentrates on the text messages, they will become distracted from driving. Distracted drivers can cause car accidents and injuries or death to themselves or others. Texting causes delayed reactions, which increase the chance of getting into an accident. According to Cary Aspinwall, when texting while driving, drivers take their eyes off the road for 4. 6 of 6 seconds. A National Safety Council fact sheet states drivers who use cell phones are four times more likely to be in a crash. The Harvard center for Risk Analysis reports the annual cost of crashes caused by cell phone use was estimated at $43 billion in 2003. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and the Orthopedic Trauma Association are also urging drivers to never text message while behind the wheel, due to the frequent treatment of injuries resulting from car accidents of drivers that have been texting. Texting while driving should be avoided, making the roads a safer place for driving. Texting is changing the importance of grammar and proper spelling, causing many problems because people do not know how to write formally and accurately. With the language of texting; grammar, spelling, syntax and abbreviation do not matter anymore. Dixon and Kaminska currently researched using a paradigm, showing that exposure to phonetically plausible misspellings negatively affected subsequent spelling performance with adults. Texting in the in school can result in distractions to the person texting and the surrounding classmates. Sending and receiving text messages during exams is a way one can cheat and get the answers, taking away from the learning process. The Florida Time-Union stated out of 269 students from all classes, 10 percent admitted to transmitting text messaging during exams. Texting in school can also pose a safety issue in text messages being sent and received on threats and rumors. According to Deborah Lee and Maureen McMahon, in April 2008, the Manhatten court of appeals, noted that cell phone bans in public schools are constitutional.