from University of California Berkeley
Whether you use text messaging or not, it is easy to understand how texting gets dangerously misused by drivers or contributes to illiteracy. However, a psychology professor at the University of California Berkeley discovered a new use for text messages. His patients said they felt more connected and cared for when they received text messages asking them to track their moods, reflect on positive interactions and to take their prescribed medications. Few of his low-income patients have computers or email, but nearly all have cell phones that can receive text messages. The feedback from his patients offers new insight into the human need for regular contact, even if only through automated technology. Perhaps it’s a way we can all reach out and touch someone who needs it.