The student you're calling in class is not available - they're too busy texting

       

Hello, hello....?

A recent survey asked young people what made them most happy. Their most popular “happy maker”, just after sleeping, shopping and snacking, is receiving a text message from close friends. 

Problem is, texting can also be a “pain in the neck” (“unausstehlich”). Quite literally. It causes “text neck” – pain not only in the neck but also back, arms, and shoulders.

Adolescents, plenty freetime time on their hands, send up to 100 messages a day. Clearly they don't just text during their freetime. The other day I noticed a student, head and shoulders bowed much lower than healthily normal, staring mesmerised at something under the desk, as if in a state of trance. Briefly I considered intervening, checking for signs of life, possibly organising first aid. Until I realised what was going on, of course.

How can you seriously concentrate on what the teacher's saying if you're busy texting or tweeting about the Next Great Social Event? Better not ask pupils which is more important – we might just get an honest answer.