Texting teens

If I bump into one more teenager at the store or on the sidewalk who is texting while walking, I’m going to go into a blind rage right there and smash their phone. This is fair warning.

Sure, I could move out of the way when I see such a kid coming at me, but why? Why should I have to hurdle over texting teenagers because they are walking through life oblivious to everything that doesn’t appear on their cell phone screen.

Now I know parents can’t monitor their children every second of every day, but if my kid was ever one of these walking dead texters, that phone would be mine so fast.

Seriously, what happened to manners and social cues, anyway? I doubt these texting teens are learning anything about interaction with, oh I don’t know, actual people who are standing in front of their face and not sitting miles away on the other end of a cell phone connection.

I admit that some of my rage at this issue is due to the fact that it takes me about half an hour to text “OK” to my friends. I’m pretty much the slowest texter on the planet. But that’s OK with me because I like actually talking to my friends and making eye contact with human beings. I’m kind of quirky that way.

Do your kids text nonstop? Does it drive you nuts when teens are texting while walking, shopping, eating, driving, playing soccer? What can parents do about it?