Generation Text

It's almost impossible these days to find a teen who isn't tethered to his or her mobile device.  Peas and carrots. Milk and cookies. Now, it's teens and texting!

To add more proof of this trend, this week Online Schools published an informative new infographic highlighting the incredible frequency with which today's teens text.

According to the findings, teens (ages 13-17) exchange an average of 3,417 text messages per month - or seven text messages every waking hour. This is more than any other age group, by far. The next closest was the 18-25 age group, which averages 1,914 texts per month.

More than 20 percent of teens included in the study say that they choose to text over call because it's faster. Other respondents claimed it was easier and more fun than talking on the phone.

The study also found that teens are using their mobile devices in other ways with the most popular activities being online gaming, followed by game downloads, streaming music, and application downloads.

While it's fascinating to take a look at the teen texting phenomenon, it's also causing increased concern. In Iowa, authorities say a 17-year-old girl was texting when her car rammed into the back of a school bus, killing her. In Canada, police believe a 16-year-old boy who was hit and killed by a train was distracted by texting and listening to music.

30 states have enacted laws banning texting while driving. But surveys of today's teens, still show a majority of them admit to doing it.