SMS Addiction Leading to Health Problems in Youth

smsMajor newspaper (including DAWN) and TV channels yesterday carried this story by APP claiming that widespread availability of cheap unlimited text message plans has made the service as preferred mode of communication for youngsters and its excessive use is leading to health problems among them.

Report said that SMS has surpassed rest of the forms of daily interaction amongst youngsters like face-to-face conversations, voice calling, etc.

It said that 60 per cent of youngsters send and receive over 125 text messages daily to interact with their peer group.

Report claimed that excessive texting is leading to a number of problems for kids such as insomnia, depression, lack of eating, isolation etc.

Almost 90 per cent of those interviewed by APP admitted that they sleep with their cell phone lying next to them and thus, keep slightly awake most of the time during their sleep.

Majority of respondents admitted that they are often awakened by a phone call or a text message after going to bed and the lack of sleep has affecting their work and progress.

On a related note, very similar survey with almost similar results was conducted by Indian industry body Assocham back in July 2011. Interestingly APP’s findings exactly match with this study done by ASSOCHAM. And don’t get amazed if we tell you that we had revealed exactly similar impacts of SMS/Night Packages on youth back in July 2008.

Here’s what exactly we reported in 2008:

These night packages have made people lazy. As they don’t enjoy sound sleep at night and of course they have to do a lot of work at day as well so it is making them both physically and mentally sick.

Eating disorder is common among these people. They don’t go to anyone’s home as they can’t afford to waste any “free” night.

Tech and telecom reporter for over 15 years


  • Well this is a bitter reality, sms is just for short messaging service but we use to communicate whole day stories on this service all night & day. I am also one of them *sigh*

  • Be it sms or computer or internet or about anything…maintaining a good balance in life is MUST for healthy living.

    We are pushed by the mobile giants and the operators and are tempted to use mobiles all the day along, text and voice both which pulls tons of bucks in their own pockets…(good for them)

    …and on the other hand….

    We silly consumers instead of making best use of it, we get lost into it..I wonder how can one reach the starts if he is not sleeping well and if he is unable to concentrate with his mobile buzzing constantly 24×7 and mind distributed between the multiple conversation threads going on those SMSes, making you less conscious of the physical world around you.

    Wake up ! don’t let anyone play with your time,
    TIME IS MUCH MORE PRECIOUS THANK YOU CAN THINK OF, please don’t under estimate your potential.

    • Agree, I am also in favour of 50 or 100 SMS per day limit. Will save a lot of time of sender and save recipients from headache.

      I also hope that PTA looks into hourly/daily packages which are more bad than SMS messaging.

      • Why do we want gov. to regulate everything for us? People know whats good and bad for them so PTA stay from this

        • people doesnt know whats good whats bad that why there must be regulation,ye kesay ho sakta hai k sab ko pata hai sahi ghalat kia hai is tarah to koi jurm hi nahi hota na koi qanoon hota.aaj kal tu zyda zarorat hai regulation ki ,q k hum sab jantey hain k kia mahool hai.

          • How do you know 200 sms/day is “bad” and 199 sms/day is good? Maybe the limits are 2000 bad. Maybe 500 bad. Maybe 10,000 bad.

            You say it’s bad, describe how you came to that conclusion that limiting to any number solves the problem.

    • yeah 200 is high, 10 to 20 sounds reasonable, but who will do it…not the mobile operators at least and we have given total control of our lives to them to rein us.

    • wow – great innovation …. there should be a mass awareness campaign to keep our mobile use thin and life quality fit…lol

  • To inspect yourself for any problem, check if you see unread messages in the morning that you were unaware of receiving during night (sleep) i.e if you are not disturbed awaken by sms alert, your life is not much disturbed and you are not that much addicted.

    Also, if your inbox contains several unread sms messages like my cell phone have few dozen of messages left unread for a long time, means you are not addicted to sms yet :-)

    Good Luck.

  • here comes post from self rightest molana ammir sahab. ban everything that he does not like plz

    • SMS addiction: responsible for fewer health problems than cigarettes. Let me know when it’s a “real problem” instead of a fake one.

      • I don’t know why the editor of this site is coming with such a controversial subjects.
        Does it’s just a matter of attestation seeking or he wants to increase the ranking of his blog?. because he knows the people will bite each other on such stores. and there will be clash of opinions.

        This is not a good approach. if he want to support the ban on every technology then its just a shame, because there is never a technology without a flaw and You can’t just ban or limit it’s usage because you think it’s bad for us. The correct approach is to guide the people for how to use it positively and give him the correct knowledge about the positive and negative sides of it’s usage.

        You can guide the people to how it would be healthier if someone use it on certain and necessary occasions. guide him about the positive and negative side of a technology properly. This is the big issue, because with such low literacy rate in our country and corrupt government the awareness is currently the biggest issue.
        Once the awareness is increased then you will definitely see the positive results. that is.

        in the other side, Putting limit or ban will never solve anything, instead it will more frustrate the young generation.
        This is the fact, deal with it. We’re now addict to these technologies and increasing price/limiting quantity/banning it will just increase more tension and problems. people will use it anyway, or they will find another way.

        Bottom line is that, you can’t control a technology to your desire, specialty in the 21 century. period.

      • @kashif and @ zulqarnain agar itni buri lagti hain Aamir bhai ki batein tu nahi parha karo inko post,kis ney kaha hai parhney ko aur comment karney ko.

        :@ Aamir bhai bilkul theek kaha aap ney ,aur ye aaj kal ho raha hai.aap pe sirf wo loog tankeed kartey hain jin ki AYASHI pe ungli uthti hai.
        aap fikar na karin aap k fan bhot hain pakistan main.

        • :@ shaan u r 100 % wrong k ban se frustration barhey gi ye sheetan ka bahana hota hai ghalat kaam karwaney k liye ,q k hum koi ghalat adat choorna hi nahi chatey is liye hum phelay se hi ye soochtay hain k “agar ye kaam choora tu frustration barhey gi” hakeekat main isa kuch nahi hota ye sirf aik waswasa hai.aur aap ka ye kehna k ye 21st century main technology ko control nahi kar saktey bilkul ajeeb baat hai.21st century agai tu kia matlab sab “madar pedar azaad ho jai”?21st century agai tu kia “HACKING” ko bhi jaiz karar dey do gay?technolgy must be regulate.agar hukumat koi acha kaam kar rahi hai tu achi baat hai,ye kehna k phelay doosray masail khatam karo phir technology ko regulate karna bandey ki “ghalat niyat” ko wazeh karta hai.

          • @Muslim

            quote “21st century agai tu kia matlab sab “madar pedar azaad ho jai”?21st century agai tu kia “HACKING” ko bhi jaiz karar dey do gay”

            You’re just clueless and mixing social communication debate with criminality. hacking is a criminal activity if its purpose is to steal/vandalize/destroy someone’s information or otherwise harass/disturb him. while communicating with your social circle with sms or whatever technology is not.

            • hacking wali example se mera matlab tha dono cheezein ghalat hain aur dono k ghalat asraat partey hain.example ghalat thi main maanta hon likin intention sahi thi.jab halaat limit cross kar jai kisi bhi cheez main to phir sakht faisley karney partey hain.Limited sms wali policy apnana chaiye kuch arsey k liye,is k achay asraat parey gay.

  • U have got addicted; bro! The limit should be 20 msgs/day.Our youth are really becoming “BATOON KAY BHOOT”. I wonder how can somebody consume 200 msgs/day.

    • Yes, and we should also be limited to 1 pepsi every three days and 1 kg of meat a week and 1.5 hours of tv a day and no more than two cups of tea a day.

          • Bhot zyda PEPSI peenay walo ko pata hai un ka kia haal hoa,main phelay bhot pepsi peeta tha ,phir mera pait isa kharab hoa k kabhi theek hi nahi hota tha ,aur jab pepsi peta tu foran bathrom ki zarorat parti.Sari cold drinks nuksaandeh hai q k in main chemicals hi isey daley jatey hain.Ab bhi mujey chorey howey pepsi 4 saal ho gai hain takreeban likin jab bhi kisi takreeb main thori si koi bhi cold drick peeta hon to ghar akar phir pait kharab ho jata hai.ALLAH ka shukar hai jab nahi peeta tu pait sahi rehta hai.wasey bhi ab pepsi ka taste tu itna kharab ho gaya hai k peenay ka dil hi nahi chata, pata nahi kon kon se ghatiya chemicals dalney lagay hain.Meray khayal se tu tamam cold drinks cegrate se bhi zyda kharab hai.

            • Nice story but YES OR NO: you support the government limiting pepsi intake to 1 pepsi every 3 days for all citizens?

              No? Then why should the government limit sms which has caused less harm to millions of Pakistanis than your willing consumption of pepsi has caused to you?

              • pepsi ka tu nahi pata likin sms k isey halaat hain aaj kal k nujawano k meray khayal se thorey arsey k liye SMS limited kar denay chaiye.jab halaat isey ho jai k loog “nashai” ho jai ya “nafsiyati” ho jai tu phir sakht faisley karney chaiye,is se sab ko awarness bhi ai gi jab pabandi lagay gi,logo ko ihsaas ho ga k wo sms k baghair bhi zinda reh saktey hain.

  • Lol, these guys are retards. Why dont they do studies like these?
    Too many youngsters too few playgrounds.
    the rise of drug abuse and smoking among youngsters.
    the current media exposure on youngsters.
    youngsters in the era of target killers.
    youngsters and quality education
    etc etc
    just some old aged people who think texting is bad. grow up man, accept the changes technology brings, educate your child to make proper use of it.

  • aik baat tu discuss nh ki kisi ny k ziada tar msgs k adicttion main lovers mubtila hain jo k rat gaye tak batien karte hain. jin ko apne time ki koi parwah nh. aur aik mah ki taweel gugtagoo k baad party change. bacha change bachi change…

    • sirf batain nahi, log forwarding bohat kertay hain. Aur jhoti afwahain SMS say bohat phelti hain.

      kisi ko tang kerna ho Blood needed urgent, contact USKA NUMBER, aur log usko forward kertay rehtay hain number ko tang kertay rehtay hain.

    • what about situation of security state(Pakistan) you cannot go outside without any satisfaction that you will be back alive with your pocket !

  • here we come
    actually it’s top level strategy to keep the youth busy in such way and make ’em lazy and of no use..

  • larkay sms bhej ker aur daily free call package say bohat tang kertay hain

    telenor unko block nahi kerti balkay kehtay hain call block service istemal karo. paisay day ker service leti hon aur wo 50rs ke new sim lay letay hain. ap log he batain akhir call block service kitnay number block ker sakti hay?

  • I was also addicted to these kind ov packages, But now realizes that “SMS Sirf KAAM k Waqt”..They are really abusing our youth..

  • 100 sms /day bohut hen. Acha bura sab kar rage ho lekin ye q nahi sochte k sms pkgs ki waja se ham ko faida kitna hota he ab banda calls to nahi karta na pese ki bohut bachat hoti he.

    • There is an idiotic group of people who think everything should be CONTROLLED AND RESTRICTED. For no reason other than they don’t like it, not because of any specific harm.

      People used to say PTCL was jewel of Asian telecom, and then I found out that in early 2000s out of a population of at least 150 million people PTCL only provided 4 million phone lines. Amazingly Pathetic! This was at a time where in Paris and London they had to switch from 7 digit phone numbers to 8 because of phone lines, and there were probably more land lines in Paris than there were people. And that is just one city, Paris!

      People whine and complain all the time on this blog about how they don’t like unlimited packages for wimax and complain about PTCL’s 50GB or 300GB limits. Yet, maybe someone should do a post on how unlimited internet packages are destroying our youth.

      • shahid saleem u cant understand how unlimited sms packages are destroying our youth because you are immature or you dont have enough IQ level or me be you dont want to understand deleberitly.Because any normal person who has average IQ level can see how sms packages are depraving our youth.I think you dont have childerns or may be you are above 45 so u cant interact with youth i dont know what is the case but atleast you can see the most comments here are in favor of limited sms policy.So dont be just “roshan khayal” but you must see “dark side”
        of the these unlimted sms packages.

        • — So dont be just “roshan khayal” but you must see “dark side”
          of the these unlimted sms packages.

          You spent your post accusing me of idiocy yet you showed NO EVIDENCE of any “dark side”.

          I live in the same society as you & have been exposed to the same ads and offers for SMS packages as you. Yet, I have not used (or as you think “abused”) them.

          They’re only “destroying” the youth IN YOUR MIND. Where is the reality of their destruction? No evidence on your part.

          • sms currently is the mostly responsible source of spreading false news, unchecked info, referenceless claims, rumours, panic etc <= "Dark Side" All made possible due to unlimited sending of sms, sometimes chain u start comes back to u in an hour.

            Students texting in classrooms, what to expect of coming generation now <= "Dark Side – hell yeah"

          • :@TK leave SHAHID SALEEM alone jab koi jaan bojh kar hi samjhna na cha raha hoo tu us se behes karney ka koi faida nahi,SHAHID SALEEM ko DARK SIDE q naza nahi ati is k waja main 1st comment main likh chuka hoon aur sab is blog pe bhot martaba dekh chukay hain.Pata nahi ye America or europe q shift nahi ho jatey waha in ko har tarah ki azaadi miley gi ,wahan porn bhi ban nahi jo in ko bhot bura lagta hai.

  • I Think Everything Has its effect.
    So if we use sms Packages with Positive MinD..
    It should be Not going to damage you.
    I Agree that msg addictiOn is a wastage of time bUt many of things we just learn By Sms.

  • kisi bhi cheez ki kami ya ziyadti nuqsan deh hoti hy. Balance is the key. And we all know that night packages are used for just one useless purpose :)
    Limit won’t solve anything as most people have atleast 2-3 sims.

    Youngster below 15 ko control krna parents ki responsibility hy, aur ye responsiblity sahi se poori ki tu after 15 rokne ki zaroorat nae pary gi :)

    SMS has almost destroyed our attention span and focus on something, YES IT IS A PROBLEM!

    • — SMS has almost destroyed our attention span and focus on something, YES IT IS A PROBLEM!

      So have web sites. So have microblogging sites like twitter. So have commercials on TV.

      Yet you do not blame them?

      • dude, websites, blogging, tv all involve sitting in front of system or tv. while what i was trying to point out is everything we do or try to do in our whole day, be while eating, sleeping, walking, driving, praying every single activity is just jolted by these repititive sms buzzes. thora bara socho yaar :)

      • Shahid u objected on just one point, means baqi sab se to agree krty ho na. please be a good human being and agree bhi kya karo, why being negative all the time

  • Dear All viewers,

    Happy to see the awareness and interests the all of you.It is good topic not controversial. I think there is no need for any thing. We ourselves have to power off our cell phone before sleeping at our routine wise time. And the person whose job requirements are such that unable to off cell, then they must charge their companies for given extra time even to ruin their lives. Dear brothers our life has more importance to us then any thing else even our relatives,life partners and jobs.
    tnx.

  • Excess of anything is bad.
    Kisi bhi cheez ki zyadati kharab hai, chahe wo pyar ho ya dukh, khana ho ya sona..
    Iska Hal hamare Islam me hai, mayanaravi
    Har chez ko balance karne ki kohshish kare,, chahe mobile usage ho ya neend karna, study ho ya khelna, life is all about balancing. And now stop and end Ross thread. GOD BLESS YOU ALL !


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