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Christine William

Malcolm Campbell

WRDS 1104

16 March 2022

Annotated Bibliography

What effect has writing through texting had on the way we think and behave in social and

academic settings?

Natanson, Hannah. “The Surprisingly Positive Power of Texting, According to Science.” The

Washington Post, The Washington Post, 22 July 2018,

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2018/07/24/the-surprisingly-posi

tive-power-of-texting-according-to-science/. Accessed 16 Mar. 2022

This article from a reliable news media source, The Washington Post, highlights the

positive impacts that texting has on our mental health and overall mood. The main point

of the article is that texting is associated with several negative consequences, but it has

significant psychological and physical benefits. The writer, Hannah Natanson claims that

texting allows individuals to experience better emotional health and deeper connections

with people. She supports this claim with evidence from a research study conducted by

the University of California at Berkeley which indicates that people who text often reach

out to their loved ones and experience better emotional well-being and less feelings of

loneliness. She also describes the medical benefits of how texting allows easier access to

healthcare professionals through urgent-care text lines, patient information, and

contacting doctors. The introduction of several crisis text-lines, like “Lean on Me” for

college students, have allowed people to find a place to vent or express themselves and
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feel heard. On the other hand, she addresses the issue of texting to avoid difficult

conversations or the awkwardness of being among strangers. Natanson supports the view

that texting should not be used to avoid social situations that may be uncomfortable. The

article references information from Turkle and Tchiki Davis, who hold doctorates in

psychology and studies, to emphasize the research that shows people experience a

positive boost through even simple interactions they have face-to-face without the

distractions of their phone. The article further draws support from studies that show that

people who reach out through text receive support from people in their lives and process

negative emotions in a healthy way. The article describes the deeper personal connections

that texting allows between people who are further away. The app “Send Me” allowed

people to text each other to send them particular things in their life like coffee, or friends,

which helped them stay connected. Hannah Natanson is a credible writer because she is a

renowned reporter covering education and K-12 schools. She is a Harvard graduate and

has received many awards and honors for reporting, including being a finalist for the

2020 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting. She provides reliable information in an

objective manner. This is a current source because it was published in 2018. The audience

includes the readers of the Washington Post. The purpose of this article is to inform

readers about the benefits of texting and to counter common negative misconceptions

associated with it. The genre is an article in a reliable news media source. This source is

useful because it provides many reliable arguments for how texting impacts our thoughts

in a positive way. It has helped me understand that although texting is often associated

with causing people to be impatient, distracted, or asocial, it has many positive effects
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when used in the right ways. This article provides a lot of useful information about the

topic, so I plan to use it in my project.

Ludden, Jennifer. “Teen Texting Soars; Will Social Skills Suffer?” NPR, NPR, 20 Apr. 2010,

https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126117811. Accessed 20 Mar.

2022.

This article from a reliable website of a nonprofit organization, NPR, discusses the

increasing use of texting as a means of communication, the reasons behind this, and the

impact this has on the way this generation will think and act in the workplace. The main

point of this article is that texting allows for constant, quick communication, but it

hinders the skills of confrontation and in-person communication especially with teachers

or people in authority. The article starts by referencing a study by the Pew Research

Center's Internet and American Life Project which reports that 54 percent of teenagers

with a phone send a text daily which is higher than it has been previously. The article

further discusses that teenagers desire to share several details of their day with their

friends just to feel involved in each other’s days and keep up with each other. Another

important point is that although texting is useful in communicating critical, urgent

information, it often is a distraction for students. Furthermore, it draws support from a

history teacher of over two decades who expresses concern that students are increasingly

awkward in face-to-face interactions with her because they prefer to communicate

through email. The article emphasizes the negative effects of texting on the ability of this

generation to engage in face-to-face communication because of a dependence on

communicating through technology, and the concern of how they will communicate in

the workplace. Jennifer Ludden is a credible writer who provides an unbiased report and
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uses reliable information to support her claims. She is an energy and environment editor

for NPR. She has worked for NPR for over two decades and has won the Robert F.

Kennedy for her reporting among many others. The genre is an article from a reliable

website of a nonprofit organization. The intended audience is listeners of the station All

Things Considered, and people who listened to the recording on NPR or read the article.

The purpose of this article is to inform the audience about negative consequences texting

can have on this generation. This source was very relevant to my topic because it showed

how texting has changed the way this generation thinks and interacts in social settings. It

is different from other sources because it highlights the negative effects and focuses on

this current generation. I plan to use this source in my project because it has reliable

information that provides a contrasting view than other sources.

Lawson, Dakota, and Bruce Henderson. “The Costs of Texting in the Classroom.” College

Teaching, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC, vol. 63, no. 3, Routledge, 01 July 2015, pp.

119–24, https://doi.org/10.1080/87567555.2015.1019826. Accessed 21 Mar. 2022.

This peer-reviewed, academic journal investigates the impact texting has on the ability of

college students to learn in a classroom setting and process information. The main point

of the article is that although texting during class is a very common occurrence and is

believed to have no significant impact on learning or grades, it can hinder a student’s

ability to learn and process even simple information at that moment. The article begins by

raising a question of whether texting is a harmless distraction like fidgeting or tapping a

pencil, or whether it has more serious implications. The article draws support from

research by cognitive psychologists that shows that people cannot process information

effectively when their attention is divided. Our attention shifts between different
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situations when we multitask which restricts us from performing to our full potential in

either task. The article supports this further by mentioning the dangers of texting while

driving which is a result of our inability to completely focus on either task. The reason

for why students constantly check for texts is described as the need for reinforcement.

The writers explain that students feel rewarded when they receive a favorable text. The

main point is further supported by a study in which students were divided into two groups

that were asked to either text during a lecture or pay complete attention. After being

quizzed on the material, the results showed that students who were not texting scored

significantly higher although the material was simple information. Several other studies

indicate that higher amounts of texting during class has a negative effect on students’

learning abilities and grades. The authors are credible writers who were both psychology

researchers and professors at Western Carolina University. Henderson taught at WCU for

several decades, authored several books, and was a Fellow of the American

Psychological Association. The information was reliable, unbiased, and was supported by

many different research studies. The genre is an academic journal. The audience includes

anyone involved in college education including professors, college students, or

administrators. The purpose of this article is to persuade the reader of the importance of

giving your full attention to learning because texting divides attention and limits learning

abilities. This source was useful because it highlighted a very common misconception

about texting and used evidence to show how it impacts our thinking and attention. This

source will appear in my project because it offers strong evidence to support how texting

hinders learning abilities in a classroom setting.