A local TV station ran an experiment recently with a group of teens at a Boys and Girls Club who agreed to give up their cell phones for one week.  Here are some of their reported comments:

Adults:
“It's on the phone, it's texting all the time, it's internet.  It's constant."
"I think, surprisingly, they'll learn they can get along better without that stuff than they thought,"
"I don't know what they're going to do with their time. This generation is so used to being completely in touch all the time, 24/7."
"Some people would say they learn to multi-task, but as a parent, what I see is the not focusing enough on one thing and finishing it."

Teens:
"I like texting. It's easy,"  "I do it a lot. Like every hour."
"It's a way to talk without really speaking."

Teens after giving up cell phones for a week:
"I get to interact in a way I haven't interacted in a while,"
"I feel like a just got a chunk ripped out of me,"
"I kind-of miss the feeling in my pocket."
"I almost missed my bus.”

"I've done a lot more, finished a lot more games with the kids than when I had my phone because I wasn't always texting.”
"Keeping myself busy so I don't think about it." (Joined a soccer team.)
"I got back to my artistic side."  (Started drawing again.)

Adults:
"Her ability to concentrate is so much better.   I mean, she literally is unable to associate with people when she has her phone." (Boss)
"Having to stay focused on a sustained argument over several pages or a long discussion is really different than just these short burst of texts."  (College Professor)
“According to a study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, face-to-face communication is the second least popular method of communication for multi-tasking teens.”

So, what can we learn from this experiment?  One thought is that there are a lot of communication skills that are necessary for success in the 21st century, both in school, on the job, and in life.  Cell phones and other technologies are great, wonderful tools, but some day you are going to have to look someone in the eye and you better have some verbal communication skills wired into your brain so you’ll know what to say.   The teen brain is still being wired and experience drives what connections are made and not made.  It’s our job as adults to make sure that our kids have the range of experiences which will wire their brains for success in the 21st century.

Join the National Institute on Media and the Family’s MediaWise Network (www.mediawise.org).  You can download our free Parent Guide to Cell Phone Use.

Dr. Dave