Teenagers "addicted" to sending frequent text messages to their friends are at risk of suffering from repetitive stress injury, anxiety and sleep deprivation, according to physicians and psychologists, who also blame this phenomenon for falling graded and distraction in schools.

"You hear that these kids are responding to texts late at night. That’s going to cause sleep issues in an age group that’s already plagued with sleep issues," Dr. Martin Joffe, a pediatrician in Greenbrae, Calif told the newspaper.

It is common knowledge that intensive workouts in front of the computer may cause musculoskeletal problems in children. Now regular texting may lead to impairment of the thumbs, which may turn out to be irreversible.

According to data released by the Nielsen Company, American teens sent and received some 2,272 text messages per month, which equates to about 80 messages per day. That is too much and hence health professionals are worried.

Repetitive Stress Injury or RSI is so-called because it arises from performing a repetitive task that uses the same muscles or organs. Some of the signs of RSI include:
* Shoulder and neck pain when using computers
* Pain at the base of the thumb
* Tired fingers, which are painful or numb
* Elbow pain
* Tingling and numbness in hand

You can take several measures to reduce RSI. These include:
* Maintaining a straight posture when using the computer
* Exercising your fingers
* Taking breaks
* Not spending more than 30 continuous minutes doing the same activity; in this case texting

As the above study shows, text messaging may be a boon as it allows teens to stay connected with their peers, but it is also a bane because of all the problems like anxiety it brings home.