Sullen, Depressed Teens Today Suffering from Unusual Disease Called Textaphrenia

Teenagers and young adults these days suffer from just more than hormones going haywire and confusing emotions. They’re subject to the diseases of their time, too. In this technologically advanced era, moody, unpredictable teens are beset by a new ailment.

It’s called Textaphrenia. The text messaging disease.

Studies have indicated constant time spent on mobile phones sending and receiving text messages merely aggravate the negative emotions already heightened by puberty.

Teenagers and young adults are more short-tempered, angry and uneasy compared to the teens of a decade ago.

Blame it on Textaphrenia.

The Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College in Indore conducted a survey among 150 young adults between the ages of 18 to 25 years.

Based on the study, participants who spent the most time involved in SMS (Short Message Service) activity, sending and receiving text messages displayed these key traits:

– Short temperedness or anger
– Sleeplessness or restlessness
– Uneasiness

Even more than the usual angst displayed by “rebels without a cause.”

Dr. Sanjay Dixit, who headed the study, observed these youths as prone to “unusual fear and chronic depression.”

The participants of the study, 47 percent female and 39 percent male admitted text messaging as being a major part of their daily life. Approximately 60 percent of the study participants felt their SMS dependency affected their studies.

Skip the books but not the phone.

Forty-five percent of the males and 40 percent of the females further revealed they were unable to get a good night’s sleep due to their texting habits.

When unable to receive an immediate reply from their friends or significant others, 55 percent of the young adults got upset, while 32 percent reported feelings of rejection. A solid 93 percent confessed to feeling restless when replies to their messages took a long time in coming.

It’s an emotional addiction.

The study further showed 41 percent of the participants reported a habit of constantly checking their phones for messages or replies to messages.

The overall anxiety these teenagers and young adults experienced is called Textaphrenia.

And its one heck of a scary thing.

H/T: Mind Blowing Facts