Psychosocial Effects of Short Text Messaging: A Case Study of Daystar University Students, Nairobi County

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect that text messaging has among the youth. The use of the mobile phone today has become an integral aspect worldwide as it is considered as a common means of communication regardless of the time and place. Among the youth, text messaging is a common way of communication as it is cheaper and ensures more privacy. The main objective of this thesis was to find out the effects that text messaging had among the youth psychologically, socially and in their language and communication. In this study the cross-sectional and descriptive research designs were adopted and the targeted population of the study was the students of Daystar University. The convenient sampling technique was used to select 94 respondents. This study made use of questionnaires for primary data collection. Quantitative data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).The results from this study indicated that text messaging was prevalent among the youth and it affected their communication especially in proper grammar, language and performance in school. Socially, it affected their relationships especially due to the fact that the intimacy vital in a relationship is diminished. Moreover, the study also revealed that there were some psychological effects and these included feelings of anxiety, loneliness and fear of rejection and abandonment. It is therefore crucial for institutions and the students to understand these effects because text messaging has emerged as a culture on its own among the youth and it is essential for them to understand these effects and utilize text messaging in a manner that would enhance their well-being both psychologically, socially and in the way that they communicate.