American teens sent and received average 2,272 texts per month in 4th quarter

The average American teenager is using both thumbs to send out a heavy load of text messages. According to the Nielsen company, the typical U.S. teen sent and received an average of 80 messages a day during last year's 4th quarter which is more than double the amount of texting done in the prior year. Psychologists claim that the large number of texts is leading to things like anxiety, falling grades and lack of sleep.

Some Psychologists say texting has both good and bad points. It is a positive tool to keep kids connected with each other and to learn about what is going on with their peers. On the other hand, having to answer a machine that vibrates every few seconds can interrupt periods of peace and quiet, or interrupt the middle of a thought. Health issues are also involved. One 15 year old  started getting painful cramps on her thumbs from constantly pressing on the QWERTY keyboard of her LG phone. She has since switched to an iPhone and while sending messages has been slower with the virtual keyboard, her thumbs are feeling better.

With most teenagers able to sneak text messages during class, huge totals are appearing on monthly bills. 13 year old Reina Hardesty of Lake Forest California accumulated 14,528 messages in one month. After a newspaper story focused on Ms. Hardesty, her monthly total soared to over 24,000 texts. But when her grades started falling, her parents took the phone away. Eventually, the phone was returned with a restriction of 5,000 messages a month.

source: N.Y. Times