Texting and Health

When I googled text messaging and health, numerous articles and websites turned up. The first one I found was an article talking about a nanny who used a text messaging service which told her what kinds of fish contained PCBs, and the different levels each of them had. PCBs are toxic substances that fish can carry, so the lowest levels possible are ideals. With a quick text, the nanny had all the information she needed. The article also talked about women in England using text alerts to remind them to take their birth control pills at the same time everyday. San Francisco uses billboards to promote a phone number people can text with common health related questions. In New Zealand they use text messaging to accompany tobacco cessation programs with young smokers. The trial has said that it has doubled the rate of quitting.

I think that these different text messaging programs sound like great ideas. They give helpful information and tools to all sorts of different people with different issues. The one problem I see is that there is not enough regulation among text messaging with young kids. Some programs might want to adopt some kind of parental release before kids under the age of 18 can text to the certain number. I think that this would eliminate a lot of angry parents.