by Chad Melius

January 3rd, 2012

Well over half of today's children and teenagers use text messaging as their main method of communicating with friends. Texting provides a way for them to talk to their friends, or even their parents, without the necessity of speaking. By the same token, it can be used at inappropriate times, like in the middle of a class, when supposedly studying, or even while driving, in the case of a teenager.

What are the dangers of text messaging?

1. Texting while driving. This problem is not limited, of course, to teenagers. However, it is a good deal more dangerous for them, since their driving skills are not as developed as those of an adult. A recent poll found that over one-third of teens had become distracted enough by texting to have a near, or even real accident.


2. Health hazards. Some children admit sending dozens of messages every day, which may lead to circulatory problems in their arms or hands. The contortions needed to hold the phone while texting with the thumb can lead to RSI ( repetitive strain injury ) or to "text thumb".


3. Unwanted messages. Many of the risky problems involved with text messaging are caused by receiving unwanted messages. These need not necessarily be spam, as children may need to provide their cell phone number when downloading new wallpaper, for example. The result is usually a series of unwanted calls.
   
   In the case of spam, the problem is exacerbated by the use of IM ( instant messenging ) services to keep the children's phones always active, so they can receive messages from their friends at any time. However, once spammers have the IM name, unwanted messages begin to skyrocket.
   
   Although it seems like an obvious thing to avoid, many children list their cell phone numbers in their profile. Fortunately, if this feature is turned off, spammers will soon delete the phone number from their list, since it costs them money to send text messages.


4. Reverse charge SMS services. Some SMS ( short message service ) providers offer this option, which allows you to accept messages from someone, and pay the tab for their message yourself. This practice was designed to facilitate the downloading of low-cost content like ringtones.
   
   Unfortunately, this service is a godsend for spammers. All they need to do is offer your child something for free, just by dialing a certain number. Doing so automatically subscribes them to a reverse charge SMS service, which can end up costing hundreds of dollars before it is noticed.


5. Child predators. This is the ultimate risk for your little one. Children may be duped by adults posing as children themselves. After enough text messages have been exchanged for a friendship to develop, the predator may suggest meeting in person. At that point, the result may be disastrous.


6. Child bullies. An increasing problem faced by some children is the use of text messaging for bullying by a schoolmate. Threatening messages are sent repeatedly to the child's cell phone. In most cases, reporting this to school authorities is not sufficient to change the bully's behavior, and it becomes necessary to notify the police.

One way to guard against these risks for your children is to monitor their cell phone activity. While this may at first seem like snooping, most parents would agree that this invasion of privacy is preferable by far to having their child at risk in so many ways.