Bzz Bzz, text message number 156 of the day has just been received. It’s been seven months now, and they haven’t had one conversation over the phone.
That’s what dating in the digital age is. Teenagers are communicating with others constantly throughout the day through text messages and social media. Social media and texting are necessities. But having a conversation over the phone is awkward for many teens.
Teenagers have become so attached to technology and the people that they talk to behind screens, but the majority of teens are aware of the dangers and take precautions.
“[I know someone is safe online] if I know the person [or] seen them around somewhere. Or by looking at their page, finding out information about them,” said senior Vaneza Silva on how she knows who’s safe to talk to online.
“Catfishing” has become a real term from the well-known MTV show Catfish that perpetuates how people can easily pretend to be someone they’re not on social media and be believed, making many teenagers now be aware of the dangers.
“I prefer [to use] Instagram because you could see the person on their pictures they post. It’s less dangerous than Facebook, because on Facebook, it’s easier to catfish,” Silva said.
Communication via social media and texts has become an expectation for many teenagers.
“I expect my friends to talk to me on a daily basis,” said senior Jonathan Martinez.
Adults have also seen how meeting people has changed throughout time for young people.
“Within the past five years, technology seems to be the focus of every teenager. While technology is great for many occasions, I do think that some teenagers are becoming dependent on technology,” said English teacher Keeley Thode.
Teenagers have become reliant on text messages and social media, therefore weakening communication skills.
“Within the past five years, technology seems to be the focus of every teenager. While technology is great for many occasions, I do think that some teenagers are becoming dependent on technology,” Thode said.