A decade ago, smart devices promised to change the way we think and interact, and they have – but not by making us smarter. Eric Andrew-Gee explores the growing body of scientific evidence that digital distraction is damaging our minds.
Between iMessage, WhatsApp, and Messenger, SMS texting is becoming a relic of the past
On December 3, 1992, a 22-year-old engineer named Neil Papworth sent the first-ever text message to his friend Richard Jarvis. It was sent from his PC computer, and Jarvis had no way of inputting a reply into his Orbitel 901 landline phone, but it was nevertheless the advent of a new type of communication. Nokia didn’t debut the first text message-enabled phone until 1993, and texting remained expensive and inconvenient for years after that, but by 2008 it had become a part of daily life.
Couples who text together don’t stay together: Study
Too much texting can disconnect couples.
Two researchers who study the societal effects of text messages, Lori Schade and Jonathan Sandberg of Brigham Young University, just released a new study claiming that too much texting can disconnect couples. Their research, published behind a paywall in the Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy, links too much texting to the stripping of nuance from a relationship.
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Texting while driving kills more U.S. teens than drunk driving
Texting behind the wheel is much more dangerous than driving drunk because of the frequency in which teenagers send texts verses how often they drink.
A new study has found that texting while driving has now replaced drunk driving as the number one cause of teenage deaths on the road in the U.S.
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Braille Touch app could revolutionize texting
Braille Touch
Braille Touch, a new app that enables people to type messages on an Android or iOS touch screen without having to look down. The app is designed for people who are visually impaired, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t use it too.
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People more likely to lie when texting: study
Study shows people lie when texting.
People are more likely to lie when texting and most honest in video chats, according to a new study.
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Despite bans, more drivers texting behind the wheel
Texting while driving increases.
Texting by drivers keeps increasing despite all the criticism and new legal bans. Texting and driving is increasing mostly among younger motorists.
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Daily stress leads to sleep texting
Sleep texting
Sleep texting is a new phenomenon sparked by the stress of daily life. People with the rare condition send incoherent text messages while asleep to their friends and family – completely unaware that they are doing it.
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‘Text Neck’ – smartphone obsession causing injuries
Hunching over a small screen can cause headaches over time.
People who regularly send text messages on their mobile phones were warned they could develop a new condition called ‘Text Neck.’
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One third of Americans prefer texting to talking on the phone
73% of cellphone owners text.
Eighty-three percent of American adults own cell phones and 73% send and receive text messages. The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project asked those texters in a survey how they prefer to be contacted on their cell phone and 31% said they preferred texts to talking on the phone, while 53% said they preferred a voice call to a text message. Another 14% said the contact method they prefer depends on the situation.
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Most smartphone users don’t talk on the phone
Only 43% of Americans use their smartphone for making calls.
What do most consumers do with their smartphones? Believe it or not, it’s not making phone calls. When using their mobile devices making calls ranks close to the bottom of the top five smart phone uses.
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Google Lobbies Nevada Legislators to Allow Self-driving Cars
Self-driving Toyota Prius, modified by Google.
Google is quietly lobbying legislators to make Nevada the first state to allow autonomous vehicles on public roads. The company’s self-driving cars might soon become more than a pet project. (Video)
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