Date of Award:

5-2012

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

Human Development and Family Studies

Department name when degree awarded

Family, Consumer, and Human Development

Committee Chair(s)

Troy E. Beckert

Committee

Troy E. Beckert

Committee

Elizabeth B. Fauth

Committee

Kay Bradford

Committee

Linda Skogrand

Committee

Andrew E. Walker

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the social impacts of adolescent text messaging. A sample of high school students was used to examine texting behaviors and practices, face-to-face communication preferences, and adolescent opinions about the use of text messaging in common social situations.

Perceptions of texting in social situations and actual texting behaviors were positively related. Teens indicated they pretend to text in social situations for various reasons. For some adolescents, texting was a way to avoid different people and situations, for others pretending to text gave them a favorable appearance, and others felt safe in different situations when they pretended to text. Overall, texting behaviors and texting perceptions contributed to teens' face-to-face communication. Adolescents also explained their perceptions of adult misconceptions of adolescent text messaging. They felt that adults have misconceptions about teen reasons for texting and actual texting behaviors, misconceptions concerning message content, and misconceptions about impacts on development such as social and language abilities. There were also some participants who felt adults have accurate perceptions of adolescent texting.

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06bd8f291a4e6cee972a3aec461eb8be

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