Does the endless stream of messages and the thought of replying to unopened texts give you anxiety? Can the group chat be so overwhelming that you want to throw your phone out the window? Texting anxiety is a real thing, and more common than you’d think.

In the last 25 years, texting has permanently changed the way we communicate. And many would argue, not for the better. While promising feelings of closeness and connection, social media and messaging apps can often do the opposite. Many find themselves tired because of the constant notifications(通知), multiple conversations, and numerous exchanges. The result? Delayed responses, or forgetting to reply to a message entirely.

People in 2022 checks their phone 262 times a day, up from a daily average of 80 in 2016. Overwhelmed, many end up consciously(有意识地) or unconsciously stopping responding to loved ones and friends. Unfortunately, not everyone will be understanding. On average, each person will have 47 unread text messages and 1,602 unopened emails. Yet the average phone screen time is more than ever before, at 4.2 hours per day.

Leah Aguirre, a psychotherapist explains that text conversations are usually a source of anxiety as they come with a lot of uncertainty. “We can’t predict how someone will respond, if they will respond, or how quickly they will respond. We can’t control other people’s actions or behaviour or how they think and interpret things, and for people that are already prone to anxiety this can be hard to cope with.”

Establishing a texting schedule and/or guidelines with people you interact with frequently is one way of restraining some of the stress. Aguirre suggests limiting the amount of time you are on your phone also helps with the anxiety. “By eliminating or reducing how much contact you have with the source of anxiety, you’ll feel some relief,” she says.“You can also tell yourself that you are okay and that you have no control over another person’s response or behaviour. Remind yourself that this is just a phone or a text message and that you are okay and will be okay.”

1.What is implied by the underlined sentence?

A Out of sight, out of mind.

B All good things come to an end.

C Art is long, life is short.

D Every coin has two sides.

解析：选D。D推理判断题。划线句表示：虽然社交媒体和消息应用程序最初是想给人带来亲密感和联系感，但现在看来它们好像正在朝着反方向发展。由此可见，任何事物都具有两面性。故选D。

2.What is TRUE according to Paragraph 3?

A Phone users are less willing to check their phones.

B People no longer get responses from their loved ones.

C Time spent on mobile phones has increased dramatically.

D We should understand others if they don’t respond.

解析：选C。C细节理解题。根据第三段倒数第一句的“Yet the average phone screen time is more than ever before, at 4.2 hours per day.”可知，人们现在花在手机屏幕上的时间越来越多了。故选C。

3.Why do text conversations bring anxiety?

A Because there are many uncertainties.

B Because more people prefer freedom.

C Because people don’t want to be disturbed.

D Because how to respond is a big problem.

解析：选A。A细节理解题。根据第四段第一句“as they come with a lot of uncertainty”可知，短信对话通常是焦虑的来源，因为它们带有很多不确定性。故选A。

4.What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A The physical symptoms of text anxiety.

B How to overcome texting anxiety.

C The emotional symptoms of text anxiety.

D How to respond to others’ texts.

解析：选B。B段落大意题。通读该段可知，Aguirre给出了一些建议，主要描述了如何应对信息焦虑。故选B。