Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Dr. Michael Klausner, associate professor of sociology at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, presented a paper about teens’ use of texting devices at the 60th meeting of the Pennsylvania Sociological Society held at Mansfield University. Klausner’s paper, titled “The Ubiquitous Use of Electronic Devices by Teens for Communication and Learning: An Interdisciplinary Analysis,” discussed the effects that teens’ frequent use of electronic devices may have on their learning, identity, attention span, interpersonal relationships and tendency towards bullying. He noted that research has shown that it is not uncommon for teens to text message as many as 2,000 messages a month. The use of electronic devices for many has become an essential part of their “identity” and has led to a “dependence” on such if not a downright “addiction” to the technology. Klausner discussed research indicating that both teens and adults “process” material that is read off computer monitors differently than wh...