No one will be surprised to learn that texting is nearly universal among young adults with cell phones (so, um, all of them?). According to the data, 97 percent of cell phone users under 30 text every day. Oldsters are not far behind them: 92 percent of the 30 to 49 set text every day and 72 percent of the 50 to 64 age group do too.
有手机的年轻人发发短信早已屡见不鲜了。(呃，所有人都这样?)数据统计显示，在30岁以下年龄段，97%手机用户每天发短信;年纪长点的也不甘落后：在30-49岁年龄段，有92%的人每天发短信;在50-64岁年龄段，72%的人也每天发短信。
And while texting can be a great way to stay in touch, to make seamless plans and to share the minor frustrations and comedies of daily life in almost real time, it sure has a downside. What do we lose when we settle for the plugged-in and tuned-out life? Read on to learn why it really might be time to put the phone down -- even if it’s just for an hour or an afternoon or a day.
当然，发短信可以保持联络，敲定缜密计划，即时分享日常生活的喜怒哀乐。可是，发短信也有弊端。我们在满足于手机生活的同时究竟又失去了什么?请往下读，了解为何应该放下手机——哪怕只是一个小时、一个下午或一天时间。
1. It’ll help you sleep better tonight
使你今晚睡得更踏实
We all know that cell phone use during the wee hours can be disruptive to our sleep patterns, but it’s also true that texting during the day could harm our ability to get a good night’s sleep, according to a recent study in the journal Psychology of Popular Media Culture.
众所周知，凌晨用手机会扰乱睡眠模式。其实，根据期刊《大众传媒文化心理学》的最新研究，白天发短信也会影响到晚上的睡眠质量。
In the study, researchers followed the stress levels, texting habits and sleep of first year college students. They found that regardless of stress levels, the more people texted during the day the poorer their sleep was.
在该项研究中，研究人员跟踪调查了大一学生的压力程度、发短信习惯以及睡眠状况，结果表明，撇开压力不谈，人们白天发短信越频繁，睡眠质量也越差。
2. Your divided attention could keep you from what’s truly important
注意力分散，错失真正重要的东西
We’re not just talking about missing special moments -- although surely, texting during time spent with loved ones can prevent full engagement. We’re talking about priorities.
这里要讲的不是错失特殊时刻——当然，和爱人在一起时发短信会妨碍约会。这里强调的是优先次序。
3. Your posture is suffering
姿势不当，身体受累
Texting can actually harm your whole body. People get so focused on these devices that they end up holding their neck and upper back in abnormal positions for a long period of time; enough that other people coined the phrase "text neck", which is essentially referring to postural pain.
发短信其实对全身都有危害。人们专心发短信时，脖子和上背容易长久保持不当姿势，因此出现了所谓的“短信脖”一词，暗指因姿势不当而引发的疼痛。
Want to counteract the effect of all this stooping and texting? Bring your phone to eye level while you use it or actually training for your endurance texting with back, neck and core strengthening exercises. Oh, and give your phone a rest!
想治好发短信时驼背哈腰造成的疼痛吗?那就在使用时把手机放到视线齐平的位置，或端正脖子及后背的姿势。还有，让手机消停一会儿吧!
4. We can’t believe we still have to say this, but it disrupts your driving
不得不再次强调：开车时发短信相当危险!
Hopefully you know by now that you can’t text and drive (since it’s the law and all), but an astounding 80 percent of college-aged drivers admit to engaging in this behavior, despite knowing how dangerous it can be.
希望你现在已经知道：法律规定，不可以边开车边发短信!尽管如此，仍有80%大学生年纪的人不顾个人安危，边开车边发短信。
You are 23 times more likely to crash if you’re texting behind the wheel, according to a federal report. And cell phone use was associated with 18 percent of "distraction"-related deaths.
据美国一份联邦报告显示，开车时发短信，出车祸的几率要高上23倍。而且，因“分神”而造成的死亡，18%是手机惹的祸。
5. It makes you a less responsible pedestrian
使你走路时磕磕碰碰
Even if you aren’t driving, your texting could be a liability to the people around you. A study in the British Medical Journal found that one in three people are distracted by mobile devices while walking and that texting was the most distracting of all the mobile activities -- including listening to music and talking on the phone.
哪怕你没在开车，发短信也会给身边人造成不便。《英国医学杂志》上一项研究发现，1/3的人走路时会因使用移动设备而分心，其中，发短信远比听歌或煲电话等更容易引起分心。
The researchers observed more than 1,000 pedestrians during rush hour in Seattle and recorded their phone habits and safety precautions as they crossed traffic junctions. They reported that texting pedestrians were almost four times more likely to ignore traffic lights, fail to look both ways at a cross and to cross outside of the demarcated crosswalk.
在西雅图的高峰时段，研究人员观察了近1000名行人，记录下他们过马路时的电话习惯和安全防范措施。结果表明，发短信的人无视红绿灯的几率高达4倍，而且这些人既不注意两边路况，也常常走到人行道外面去。
6. Your school or work performance will suffer
影响学习或工作
Your texting could be holding back your productivity at work or school. According to one study of college students, female first year students spend an average 12 hours texting and engaging in social media -- and extensive media use is associated with lower academic performance.
发短信可能会影响工作效率或学习成绩。根据大学生的一项调查显示，大一女生平均有12小时耗在短信和社交媒介上，而沉溺于社交媒体和较差的学业大有关联。
But it isn’t just college students who face texting distractions. A study conducted at the University of Michigan found that short interruptions at work -- even just the duration of reading or sending a text -- can increase the number of errors a worker makes during a single task, reported HealthDay.
而且，不仅大学生有“短信分心”现象，根据HealthDay的报道，密歇根大学的一项调查还发现，工作时的短暂干扰——哪怕只是查看或发送一条短信，也会增加工作出错几率。
7. It can prevent you from really enjoying the activities you cherish
妨碍你享受真正值得珍惜的活动
Google executive Bonita Stewart banishes her cell phone from her ballet class so that she can enjoy her dance practice unfettered by her to-do list.
谷歌高级主管博妮塔-斯图尔特在上芭蕾课时绝对不用手机，只有这样，她才能按照任务清单专心享受舞蹈训练。
（兼职编辑：张博）
