Sending text messages may not be the best thing for developing healthy social skills, but, as 16-year-old SMS warrior Annie Levitz found out, too much texting can have pretty nasty physical side effects, too. The high school junior, by her own estimate, used to send over 100 texts per day. But, after doctors diagnosed her with carpal tunnel syndrome, all that came to a grinding halt -- sort of.
In an interview, held (of course) via SMS exchanges, Levitz told the
Sun-Times that, although she hasn't completely stopped texting, she's made a conscious effort to cut back ever since doctors gave her a cumbersome pair of braces, which make it painful for her to both text and type. That still hasn't stopped her, though, from racking up a post-carpal-tunnel phone bill with over 2,000 texts per month. Her doctors maintain that she still needs to reduce her texting, and her mom agrees, calling her habit "ridiculous." Word of Levitz's ailment has even gotten around school, earning her the all-too creative nickname "Carpal Tunnel Girl."
According to Levitz's doctor, Sofia Aksentijevich, carpal tunnel syndrome has historically afflicted older populations, or pregnant women. As texting has become more ubiquitous, though, younger patients have been diagnosed with the syndrome, which Aksentijevich says is often characterized by a patient's inability to "grasp things," and "frequent burning, tingling or itching numbness in the palm of the hand and the fingers." After experiencing the everyday inconveniences that the syndrome has caused, Levitz says she's trying her darndest to cut down, and admits that "we send more texts than we need to." She's even come up with a solution: buying an iPhone, which, she claims, requires "less work." Sounds like a winning plan to us, but someone should probably tell her that
talking on the phone is always an option, too. [From:
Chicago Sun-Times, via:
HuffPo]
[
Ed. note: Levitz is a high school
junior, not a senior, as originally written. Thanks for catching, Fong.]
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Teen Texting Gone Out of Bounds
Syracuse University professor Laurence Thomas made news last year for walking out of the classroom whenever his students disobeyed his "no texting in class" rule. Wouldn't the kind of student who would text in class be happy to have class canceled?
In January, 13-year-old Californian Reina Hardesty sent 14,528 text messages from her cell phone. Fortunately for her daddy, he had her on an unlimited text plan.
Two high school cheerleaders in Seattle were suspended from school in December when school officials found out that they had taken nude pictures of themselves on their cell phones and, mistakenly or not, wound up with them circulating through the football locker room. The girls' parents have filed suit against the school. You'd think they would just let the embarassment die quietly.
In December, while on a class trip (according to an Internet rumor anyway), the above message appeared on 18-year-old Elizabeth Frisinger's phone after mistakenly texting her dad, back home in Cleveland, that she'd just lost her virginity. Whoops!
Outdoing Reina Hardesty, 15-year-old Ohioan Paige Hornev averages 15,000 text messages a month. That comes out to the impressive, or pitiful, average of 500 text messages a day.
Thinking about Emily Jenning's texting abilities just makes our thumbs hurt. The Vancouver, British Columbia teen pumped out an absurd 41,600 text messages in the course of a single month -- we did some quick calculations and that works out to about one text every minute.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
texvoodoo2 said 8:24AM on 3-21-2010
Well I guess the solution would be to stop texting, dumbass, not go out and buy another phone. This is the sort of problem that is facing our society today. Obviously the girl has no common sense, and neither does her parents.
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Holly said 1:40PM on 3-21-2010
Her parents are idiots. It is obvious that this girl runs them and that they don't control her. 1st, she is not paying the cellphone bill, they are. She cannot make changes to their cellphone plan, they can and can insure that she cannot by putting a password unknown to her on their account. 2nd, most cellphone providers allow anyone to block texting on any number on their account, if their cellphone company doesn't all they have to do is switch companies.
The kid is 16 and has carpal tunnel syndrome because of it. She won't stop texting. It's time for the parents to step up and become responsible parents to protect their daughter's health by blocking texting on child's phone.
httredskins4life said 9:09AM on 3-21-2010
dion fo prez.
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dion said 4:16PM on 3-21-2010
hahahahahahah thanks i accept that nomination
wheelz said 5:06PM on 3-23-2010
you are both brainless societally-patterned mindless followers
Dr. Breathless said 9:40AM on 3-21-2010
other side effects are the hump backs, curved shoulders and slouching ... starting to look like that evolution chart...
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otrpu said 1:42PM on 3-21-2010
An absolutely priceless post.
B said 10:19AM on 3-21-2010
Although, carpal tunnel is a painful side effect. I feel the WORST side effect of texting is the destruction of the English language. I estimate that within 20 years, the English language will become totally phonetic. This may bother no one but the purists, teachers and writers, but I think it is the end of a beautiful language. Sorry to see it go the way of c u ltr since I am no able to lol!!!
Sincerely,
B
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Nicolerynk said 1:12PM on 3-21-2010
Languages come and go. we don't talk like they did in the 1700 and 1800's do we? No we don't so get over it languages are constantly changing and there are more important things to worry about. Get over it B
leon said 10:38AM on 3-21-2010
Put your hands in your pocket and talk with your mouth.
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Syntax said 11:32AM on 3-21-2010
Typing, turning a screwdriver, masturbating(male and female), and squeezing a clutch on a motorcycle are all other examples of activities that can cause a repetitive motion injury, and possibly lead to CTS. This article's aim is to simply find another thing to persecute the younger population, another one of our problems.
I'm not denying the facts that texting can cause CTS, as does many other activities.
This article is crap, and written with an agenda.
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Gregory Schwartz said 11:40AM on 3-21-2010
What could she possibly have to say that is so important? What ever happened to talking in person or on the phone? Isn't Email good enough? I won't own a cell phone or Ipod or any of those other "toys" adults/kids like to play with. I pay enough for my telephone at home. I'm not giving my money to Verizon, etc. so I can text and play on electronic gadgets. This stupid computer is enough! Takes up too much of my time already! I hate the way people spell on Emails, text, etc. If it's misspelled, it makes the person look like an idiot! My best friend was filling out her taxes, and she didn't capitalize proper names, cities, states, etc. I asked her, "what's wrong with miami?" She didn't know. I pointed out that she didn't capitalize the city name. She said, "oh, I never do". I told her if I was her teacher she would get an "F". And that was her TAXES!!!! duh! -gregg in sarasota
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Outlaw Josey Wales said 1:25PM on 3-21-2010
I agree that the spelling and complete disregard of how our language should be used is totally out of control. When I see somebody misspell so many words, not use capital letters for proper names and using the wrong word (there, they're, their) in their text, all I can think is dumbass! Or how so many so called college educated people think Germany bombed Pearl Harbor or either Germany or Japan were our Allies. So many people just don't care and then when somebody corrects them, they get called a Dumbass by the moron who was wrong in the first place. Some typos and incorrect punctuations are fine, but it is really getting atrocious these days. I've never been to college. Instead I joined the Army as an Infantryman because that is what I always wanted to be and do........serve my country, but it is amazing to see how many "higher educated " people have no common sense and total disregard of getting things right.
dion said 4:17PM on 3-21-2010
see the reason you say that is because you were probably born when jesus christ was in the third grade...seriously calm down not all technology is bad...cell phones are awsome i do 9000 text a month cause i get tired of talking on the phone to people it gets boring..get with the times father time...its 2010..we arent wearing bell bottoms and staying alive in a disco....
amber said 12:23PM on 3-21-2010
Why does her mom simply say that it is "ridiculous"? Who is the parent? If it is effecting her health so much, why not take the phone away from her???
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Jill said 1:18PM on 3-21-2010
Todays youth are so messed up. If they have a cell phone in their hand they would rather text someone a message with it rather than simply dialing and talking to them. BRILLIANT !
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otrpu said 1:47PM on 3-21-2010
I wondered why they do it too. Wifey told me it's so they can do it without anybody overhearing what they're telling one another.
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Fong said 2:18PM on 3-21-2010
Umm a 16-year-old high school senior?
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vlveteyes said 2:03PM on 3-21-2010
Watching people who text a lot makes me wonder if society really is headed to where it is in the kids movie "Wall-e". No actual contact with each other, just a virtual world.. kind of scary..
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gs said 2:44PM on 3-21-2010
texting is the biggest waste of time ever - it is a very good indicator where the human race is going - to extinction
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