Teens text an aveage 1o times per hour
By analyzing more than 40,000 monthly U.S. mobile bills, Nielsen determined American teens sent an average of 3,146 texts a month each during Q3 2009. Their tween counterparts (ages 9-12) sent an average of 1,146 monthly texts each, or four per hour not spent asleep orin school . In comparison, the average number of monthly texts sent by all mobile users combined was a little more than 500, writes Marketing Charts.
In Q4 2009, 9-12s increased text usage by 8% and almost doubled their text message volume.Text Costs Typically Remain Low
While parents may fume that teen and tween texting will land them in the poorhouse, Nielsen analysis indicates the average cost of a singletext message is one penny. Only a small percentage of mobile users belong to a “pay as you go” plan typically charging 20 cents per text. Most mobile users subscribe to plans with messaging bundles that substantially reduce the cost of an individual text.
Youth Text Market Will Grow
Nielsen predicts overall text message usage will grow as the heavy text messaging population ages and entices the older generations to text with them in order to stay in contact with them. The averagetext message number has increased every year, but the huge room for growth that is still remaining has been underestimated given the penchant for texting among the 17 and under segment.
‘Sexting’ Poses Teen Danger
‘Sexting, or the sending of risqué photos via text message, likely poses a greater threat to teens and tweens than heavy text usage. According to nationally representative research from Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, 8% of 17-year-olds with cell phones have sent a sexually provocative image by text, and 30% have received a nude or nearly nude image.
17% of teens who pay for all of the costs associated with their cell phones send sexually suggestive images via text; just 3% of teens who do not pay for, or only pay for a portion of the cost of the cell phone, send these images. Pewresearch found that sexually explicit text messages have become “relationship currency” among U.S. teens.
