Teens prefer text over talk.

According to a report by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, text-messaging is a primary means of communication among younger teens.*

• The study found that 75 percent of teens ages 12-17 own cell phones and that one out of three of those teens sends more than 100 text messages a day.
• More than half of teens (54%) are daily texters.
• Two-thirds of teen texters say they are more likely to use their mobile phones to text their friends than to talk to them.
• The study also reports that for teens, texting has overtaken the frequency of every common form of interaction with their friends.

But, it’s more then just teens who text. Text messaging has exploded – for example, Verizon Wireless customers alone exchange more than 1 billion text messages every day—that’s more than 11,500 text messages sent or received every second!

*Lenhart, Amanda; Ling, Rich; Campbell, Scott; and Purcell, Kristen. Teens and Mobile Phones. Pew Internet & American Life Project, April 20, 2010, accessed August 2, 2010