Question: My high-school daughter has what I consider a terrible habit. She spends time in every class texting her friends. Is this likely to affect her learning? What can I do to convince her to stop texting? -- Too Much Texting
Answer: Contrary to what every teen thinks, multitasking is not a skill that most people have. Instead, the students are switching back and forth between listening to what is going on in the classroom and texting. This obviously interferes with their ability to pay attention. Research has been able to show that students who text frequently in classes are likely to have lower grades.
Students who text in classes are violating the rules at most schools. You can talk yourself blue in the face to your daughter about the downsides of texting in class, and nothing is likely to change. There is a simple solution: Phone service plans allow restrictions. You can block the time period that you don't want your daughter to use the phone. Or you can simply take the phone away during school hours.