Two teenagers started a relationship in 2012, mainly through texting, which ended tragically. When Conrad Roy became depressed, his girlfriend, Michelle Carter, encouraged him to seek treatment, but then began to encourage him to commit suicide. Roy intentionally filled his truck with carbon monoxide and Carter sent him emails urging him to stay in the truck. For her encouraging texts and failure to act, Carter was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. The judge based his ruling on the words she used, extending the boundaries of criminal law. Listen to hear more about this ruling and what it might mean for future cases.
Story Length: 3:28
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June 9, 2017
3:35
A new technology has been developed that could help law enforcement detect if a person has been texting while driving. Typically, in cases of auto accidents, law enforcement has to get an order from a court to look through a person’s phone records to see if they were texting at the wheel. This is a lengthy and difficult process that many believe slows the course of justice. However, the “textalyzer”, if used, would allow police to plug into a driver’s phone and quickly see their last 90 seconds of phone activity to determine if they were texting and driving. Listen to learn more about texting-while-driving bans and debate the benefits and challenges of using the textalyzer to improve safety.
Read MoreMarch 16, 2017
4:17
Studies show that teen girls are more vulnerable to depression. In fact, girls are three times more likely than boys to become depressed, due in part to social pressures such as the overemphasis on physical appearance and the prevalence of social media. Not only are girls more likely to use social media, they also appear to be more vulnerable to the emotionally damaging effects of a constant, virtual connection. Listen to learn more about trends in teenage depression and the role of social media.
Read MoreJanuary 8, 2014
3:50
More than 41 states have laws against texting and driving, but thousands of people are still using their cell phones while they drive. So does imposing a texting ban while driving actually decrease auto accidents? The data says no, listen to this story to learn why not.
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