Dangers of texting you should be aware of

Texting is a form of written communication that happens via a digital mobile phone. Texting has been and remains, one of the most popular means of communication with 4.6 billion people texting worldwide. When it comes to time spent texting, millennials spend about 48 minutes per day texting while boomers spend on average 30 minutes per day texting. Even if texting seems innocent and safe, many hidden dangers are associated with texting that every mobile device user should know about. Keep reading to learn what these dangers are so that you can text consciously.

Dangerous/ inappropriate messages

When you are texting, especially when texting with strangers on the internet, you put yourself at risk of receiving dangerous and inappropriate text messages. Many people in this world are perverted, lonely, and just downright inappropriate and too often, innocent conversations can take a left turn. Some creeps lurk on the internet for innocent-looking victims and then pretend to be something they are not so that they can gain their trust and have closer access to them. Upon gaining that access and trust, they eventually start being intrusive and asking inappropriate questions regarding personal and confidential information and even sex. Some creeps even text random strangers’ pictures of their genitals as a form of self-gratification so you need to be aware and alert. The internet is not a safe place so you cannot give your trust away to anyone who seems kind. You also need to educate your children about the creepy people lurking around the internet. This is very important when it comes to their safety, as it is really easy to fall into a trap and get hurt. One easy way to make sure you have control over your kids is to use a free SMS tracker without installing on target phone.  Other dangers include location being compromised or threats to your life and safety which can be avoided if you only text people you know and trust.

Texting while driving

Texting is considered distracted driving which killed more than 3000 people and left a further 416 000 injured in 2010 according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It has also been revealed that 40% of teens in America have admitted to being inside a vehicle where the driver has used a phone in a way that puts people in danger and a further 11% of young drivers in the 18-20 age group have admitted that they have crashed due to sending or receiving text messages. When you text while you drive, your risk of an accident occurring becomes 23 times higher compared to drivers who are not distracted. There is no current national ban on texting and driving however, it is important to remember that this is a massive distraction and can cause danger not only to you and your passengers but also to people, pedestrians, and other vehicles.

Affects your sleep

Many people keep their phones next to their bed and their screens are generally the last thing they see before going to bed. A lot of people also spend their time in bed scrolling and texting instead of going to sleep. The exposure to blue light that is emitted from mobile devices harms our sleep cycle because blue light suppresses melatonin which is needed for sleep. With reduced melatonin levels, your sleep cycle becomes unnatural and uneven which has further health risks such as hormonal imbalance, mood irritability, and fatigue. It is recommended that you cut all screen time at least 2 hours before bedtime.

Stress & anxiety

Many don’t realize that texting can induce stress and anxiety. From the loud notification alerts and vibrations to the inner urge to respond to all texts promptly, anxiety can easily develop. Some people even become anxious to open conversations and respond to text messages which result in neglected conversations. This increases anxiety even more because now they are bombarded with the idea that the recipient thinks you are ignoring them when in fact, they are just too anxious to continue engaging. Texting has also been linked to social anxiety with many people mainly interacting with human beings digitally. This results in awkward face-to-face interactions or overthinking every social interaction you have.

When it comes to texting, it is not just a form of communication. There are hidden dangers linked to texting which include dangerous/ inappropriate messages, texting while driving, sleep disturbances, and stress and anxiety.