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A program staff member for Lakes Area Youth Service Bureau would probably say Minnesota's laws outlawing texting while driving a vehicle are a good start, but the explosion in the use of mobile device texting still needs more regulation, especially for teens, and more teens need to get instruction as to how texting should be utilized socially.

Matt Howard, of the Youth Service Bureau, said the YSB has had at least three cases referred to its program that involved assault offenses "that probably wouldn't have happened if texting didn't exist." Howard said "inflammatory" text messages were the common denominator in all the assaults, "...none of the parties involved actually intended to be in a fight," he added.

He continued, "Teens are impulsive and quick to have emotional responses, this is not news. What is new is the combination of immediacy of texting and the emotionally driven teen...texting gives you the ability to be emotionally removed...and you have a recipe for disaster."

Howard explained that in this world of unlimited text messaging on mobile phone plans, teens are especially susceptible to mis-interpret messaging that's bombarding them; independent of the social cues and body language the message sender would normally be displaying in-person. Howard said boundaries need to be placed on texting, parents must feel they have the right to tell their teens when and with whom they should be communicating.

Howard also supports anything schools can offer to become more involved in laying groundwork for teens to become more skilled at using communications devices.

The student group of Chisago Lakes High School Business Professionals of America (BPA) already promotes responsible texting.

The program is spreading the message that texting is a unique tool and there are times it should be avoided, and there's etiquette to be learned.

The school sent 26 students to a regional BPA competition at Century College and one of the competitive events was having a subgroup of students produce a video on texting. The video theme was driving and texting and the dangers they present. Three students on the video team, William, Caitlin and Natasha, said, "The lesson we learned and want to share is stay safe and leave your phones alone if you are behind the wheel."

From that regional contest, 13 Chisago Lakes students qualified for state. The State Leadership Conference is in March.

(Photo shows most of the BPA kids.)

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