Thumbs
By Kari Croop,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Brand-heavy docu celebrates kids who text at record speed.
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What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.
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What's the Story?
Profiling a handful of the top contenders preparing for the 2010 LG U.S. National Texting Championship in New York City, THUMBS looks into the world of competitive texting and reveals some borderline-frightening proficiencies among teens who are obsessed with their phones. Personalities include 16-year-old Kate, who won the top prize of $100,000 in 2009, and 13-year-old Brianna, whose parents keep her compulsive hobby in check with good, old-fashioned ground rules.
Is It Any Good?
While not among the very best or most artful documentaries about teens and their talents, Bill Couturié's Thumbs gets points for exposing the fascinating (and borderline disturbing) habits of teen texters, some of whom admit to sending up to 30,000 messages a month. And while parents of kids who are already old enough to text might not be terribly surprised, parents of younger children could get a much-needed wake-up call.
Particularly off-putting is the widely practiced custom among the featured contestants of texting during class -- from either under a desk or, for the more expertly abled, behind the back without even looking. And while multitasking is a useful skill in today's lightning-fast world, is it really conducive to meaningful learning? We're not sure it's so GR8.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the downsides to excessive texting. What are the dangers of texting while driving? What are the consequences of sexting? What about texting during class?
Should parents pay for their kids' texting habits, or should kids take responsibility for their own activity? If parents don't pay for their kids' cell phones, should they still be able to make the rules regarding usage?
How have cell phones and texting changed the way we communicate? Are we less skilled at actual conversation than we used to be? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
TV Details
- Premiere date: May 18, 1999
- Network: MTV
- Genre: Reality TV
- TV rating: TV-PG
- Last updated: September 19, 2019
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