Get selected option text with JavaScript

Plain JavaScript

var sel = document.getElementById("box1");
var text= sel.options[sel.selectedIndex].text;

jQuery:

$("#box1 option:selected").text();

Try options

function myNewFunction(sel) {
  alert(sel.options[sel.selectedIndex].text);
}
<select id="box1" onChange="myNewFunction(this);">
  <option value="98">dog</option>
  <option value="7122">cat</option>
  <option value="142">bird</option>
</select>

All these functions and random things, I think it is best to use this, and do it like this:

this.options[this.selectedIndex].text