Missing The Point

As usual. Yes; the kids are 'texting' up a storm. Yes ("Texting May Be Taking a Toll"); it's not a healthy thing to do, either physically or socially/emotionally (My Opinion). What people who like to take alarm at this sort of thing tend to ignore is the well-documented fact that Teenagers Engage In Risky Behavior. Almost might be the defining characteristic, in fact.
However, lets look at the sum of what these kids are doing. When they take up some New Thing, it's usually a replacement for some Old Thing (Old - meaning last week or even older!). So: James Dean exemplified the behavior of the '50's, where Badass Hotrodders were supposed to play Chicken even unto death. Texting is safer. In the '60's the Flower Children were supposed to get as stoned as possible on any kind of totally unrecognizable street drug if offered. Texting is safer. I leave it as an exercise for the reader to supply other examples.
What isn't being talked about is the social context. Why are people so desperate to continually exchange communications with friends/family/tribe/posse? The Texts and Tweets need not contain any news or information or even sense. They're simply a sort of a Proof Of Existence. People are so isolated from their tribal area, so surrounded by strangers and thus potential enemies that they need (in an emotional sense) continuous contact with Someone They Know.
I've noticed on occasion, when I've removed a mobile device from the possesion of a stricken student, that the student may become well-nigh Catatonic. They just sit there, in a self-created Sensory Deprivation Chamber, waiting for their sensory I/O device to be returned to them.
Yeah, that's not a healthy response.
The question I ask is: Why Are They So Desperate to begin with?