College Freshmen Losing Sleep over Texts
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iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Teens aren’t about to give up using their cellphones once they get into college although a new study suggests they may want to start cutting back some on texting.
According to researchers at Washington and Lee University, more freshmen are experiencing sleep problems, which they contend might have to do with their texting habits.
Lead researcher Karla Murdoch says that the possible link stems from the added stress on one’s life that comes from heavy texting in close relationships.
Murdoch points out that first-year students put pressure on themselves to respond immediately to texts, no matter how trivial they are. Another factor that might disrupt sleep cycles: always having the phone within reach while in bed.
Furthermore, the researchers say that much can be lost in translation in texts because there’s no face-to-face communication. Yet, young people conduct serious personal business through texting, including breaking-up and arguing.
Murdoch and her team conclude that texting is a form of communication that ought to be regarded as impersonal as the old-fashioned Morse code.
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