10,000 Text Messages

According to Telegraph the average teenager sends almost 10,000 text messages per year, and is so worried about missing an important call that they leave their mobile phone switched on overnight, according to the latest survey into the digital habits of young people.

The research, which was carried out by Bebo, a social networking site popular with teenagers, reveals that more than two-thirds of young people use their mobile phones and digital cameras to keep a photographic record of their lives. Almost 75 per cent of those surveyed said they used social networking websites to share photos and keep in touch with friends.

Around half of those questioned said they had as many as 250 "friends" with whom they kept in regular contact via the internet. Most of the teenagers who responded to the survey, which was posted globally on the Bebo website, said they spent the majority of their spare time on the web, with almost one third saying they watched more than 50 online videos per week, usually on sites such as YouTube and Bebo, and other social networking websites such as MySpace.

But watching traditional, broadcast television is still a popular pursuit for many young people, with 31 per cent admitting to watching more than five hours of television per day, and 32 per cent stating that they watched TV for between three and five hours per day.

"Communicating with one another is one of the most popular hobbies among teenagers today," said Sarah Gavin, global director of communications for Bebo, which has more than 11 million users in the UK. "If technology enables them to do this more easily, then it makes the experience all the more appealing to them."

And new research suggests that using social networking sites might even be beneficial to youngsters. A study by the MacArthur Foundation in the United States concluded that use of sites such as Bebo, Facebook and MySpace helped young people to learn crucial life skills.

Teens who Lie, Steal, & Cheat see themsleves as Ethical

With finals coming up for students in a few days here is an article on Drudge Report. You can read it here. Here are some of the most concerning points of the article.

• “American teenagers lie, steal and cheat more at "alarming rates," a study of nearly 30,000 public and Christian school high school students concluded Monday.
  
• The attitudes and conduct of some 29,760 high school students across the United States "doesn't bode well for the future when these youngsters become the next generation's politicians and parents, cops and corporate executives, and journalists and generals," the non-profit Josephson Institute said.
  
• Boys were found to lie and steal more than girls.
  
• Overall, 30 percent of students admitted to stealing from a store within the past year, a two percent rise from 2006. More than one third of boys (35 percent) said they had stolen goods, compared to 26 percent of girls.
• An overwhelming majority, 83 percent, of public school and private religious school students admitted to lying to their parents about something significant, compared to 78 percent for those attending independent non-religious schools.
  
• Despite no significant gender differences on exam cheating, students from non-religious independent schools had the lowest cheating rate, 47 percent, compared to 63 percent of students attending religious schools.
  
• Despite these high levels of dishonesty, these same kids have a high self-image when it comes to ethics."
  
• Some 93 percent of students indicated satisfaction with their own character and ethics, with 77 percent saying that "when it comes to doing what is right, I am better than most people I know.”

Daddy Daughter Date

I love to spend time with my 3 daughters...together and individually. The experts says that as a dad, I alone am the greatest factor in determining what type of man my daughters will end up marring and quite likely they will choose someone just like me. Or, if not a man like me, one with very similar tendencies and characteristics. Scary thought, uh?

As a dad I have my daughter's best interests at heart and I want her Prince Charming to come along (many, many years down the road!), sweep her off her feet and treat her like the princess she is. I understand that it's at least partly up to me to see to it that she starts getting the royal treatment at an early age. By treating her so I let her know that settling for anything less is just plain unacceptable.

A great way I have discovered to do this is to have Daddy Daughters Dates. I set aside specific date days or nights to spend with her and only her because girls usually love extra little things that make them feel special.

Well this past weekend I had a wonderful time with my 3 daughters with daddy daughter dates spread out over the weekend. We had a blast from getting flavored coffee/hot chocolate, checking out the Rhema Christmas Lights, going to Best Buy and playing with the awesome Apple computers and with the latest and greatest gaming consoles, eating out, and most importantly spending some time talking.

I know that the most important thing isn't what you do, or where you go, but that I'm spending some one-on-one time with my baby girl (and no matter how old she is, she's still my baby).

What are some good daddy daughter dates that you've experienced?

First Blog

Hello...this is my first personal blog. I am looking forward to sharing my heart, laughs, struggles, and thoughts. You can be a source of encouragement to me by commenting as I blog. I look forward to sharing.