NYTimes on teens texting

Apparently constant texting might be bad for teenagers. At least according to a story in the New York Times.

Spurred by the unlimited texting plans offered by carriers like AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless, American teenagers sent and received an average of 2,272 text messages per month in the fourth quarter of 2008, according to the Nielsen Company — almost 80 messages a day, more than double the average of a year earlier.

The phenomenon is beginning to worry physicians and psychologists, who say it is leading to anxiety, distraction in school, falling grades, repetitive stress injury and sleep deprivation.

I send a lot of text messages from my phone (a Blackberry Storm). With Verizon, you just need to dial #3282 (#DATA) to see the amount of text messages sent in that billing period.

Mine? Well I've sent 2117 text messages since May 4.