Does your teen use text messaging?

Avatar for bookwormmom
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-22-2003
Does your teen use text messaging?
15
Sun, 08-19-2007 - 1:07am

My dd text messages all the time. She pays for her phone service which is on our acct. and so does ds. She ended up signing up for a deal a few months ago for 500 texts/mo and then went over by 365 which cost 10 cents each, so she had to pay for those that month. The next month it just happened that both of them were up for new phones and really needed them and dh signed up for unlimited text messaging for the whole family. What a relief!

I'm wondering how many text messages your kids use each month. We just got the bill a week or so ago and it itemizes all calls etc. Her total for the month was over 3000 text messages. I have never seen anyone text like her, I think she can text as fast as I can type.

How many do your kids send per month?

Kristie

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Pages

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-16-1999
Sun, 08-19-2007 - 8:02am

DSs J&Z don't text much at all... maybe 10 tm all month.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-29-2004
Sun, 08-19-2007 - 8:49am


My kids don't text messaging at all. There is no need. Their cell phones are not equipped for text and they have not asked to upgrade. My DD(19) carries my cell-phone when she is home so that she can call home if she needs to. I don't need it. At university, she has her cell phone which she hardly uses. We get the bill so we know. The girls (she & her roommates in university) are arranging for a "land phone" for their house. It's cheaper.

My son's (17) cell phone is never used. He brought it to school last year twice because he was going to be staying late. He has used it maybe ten times since we brought it for him four years ago. Their best friends are all the same.

I find it funny that a family like mine which is more "technical" than most are not into
cell phones/text messaging.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-06-2006
Sun, 08-19-2007 - 9:35am

<>

None. Well over a year ago, DH flipped when he saw the tm charges on the cell phone bill and had that feature turned off completely on all our phones. C's friends were pretty annoyed, but they all work around it.

There has been a lot of press lately about teens and texting, particularly the dangers of trying to text while driving, as there have been many texting-related car accidents and fatalities. Since these handy gadgets ARE telephones (primarily) why not use them as such?

 

 

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-25-2006
Sun, 08-19-2007 - 10:00am

After first getting his cell about 1.5 yrs ago DS17 was texting, and when I saw the bill I blocked the service right away. Now his friends text him, but he cannot send any messages as long as we are paying the bill. I had the service blocked on all of our phones. I view it as unnecessary and another distraction for drivers. We're doing just fine without it, and enjoying hearing our friends' and families' voices instead of reading a lot of tiny print. jmho.

While we're on the subjecet of cell phones, if yours ever happens to jump in the toilet, it can survive! I got on the internet and read about lots of different tricks, but what I tried was this: The first thing to do is remove the battery, even before turning it off. (It was about an hour before I removed my battery, but mine still made it.) I shook out as much water as possible, then used a blow dryer on it for about 20 minutes, and then put it in a sock in a bag of rice that I let sit in on the dash of my car for two days. It is important to wait at least two days before trying it. The battery I also put in a sock but left it on a counter in the house. It's still working fine two months later.

I've learned to remove the phone/case from my shorts before using the toilet. Mine flipped off the waistband as I was pulling up my shorts--fortunately there was only pee in the toilet, and I keep my bathrooms pretty clean. Even so, DS24 was totally grossed out by my story and could not believe I would still use the phone. But with my med tech/microbiology background, I know that urine is sterile and there are a lot more grungier things around that we happen to touch than my clean toilet, lol!

-----------------------------------------------
http://www.pnhp.org/news/2009/october/meet_the_new_health_.php

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQTBYQlQ7yM

Avatar for suzyk2118
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-30-1997
Sun, 08-19-2007 - 10:16am

DS15 is not permitted text messaging.

ETA - he has full use of his cell phone, we never get near the minutes we have. And he's on XBox Live a lot when at home, so he really doesn't care in the least that he doesn't text message - it's NOT free in our plan and he knows he'd have to pay if he wanted it, which he doesn't want to do! (We don't forbid it; we told him if he wants it, he pays, and he is cheap!)

Sue




Edited 8/19/2007 7:18 pm ET by suzyk2118
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-28-2007
Sun, 08-19-2007 - 10:35am

You have company! My oldest dd who is 15 loves to text. Actually, there was an article that said teens say e-mail is soooooooooo dead. They just like to text! So, when you can't beat them join them. I text to them now too. When my daughter first received my text, she wrote back OMG, mom texts! But now it comes in handy. It's silent so she can reach me when I'm out and I can reach her when she's in the movies or elsewhere.

For a while she was texting this one boy constantly-who was just an internet friend from far away. He was older--starting college. So, when she went to camp she couldn't use the cellphone, email, nothing. It was an electronic free summer and this solved her semi-addiction. Ok, take out semi. Also, it phased out that relationship. But now she texts her friends from camp. I don't really mind in her case. We're from an area that is kind of limited socially. The classes in the school are small. My daughter has been with the same 12 girls only in school since she was three. That's too limiting. So, I'm glad to see her be friends with people from all over and expand her horizons.

That's just their way of talking. At one point though when she was texting this guy, when I wanted to discipline her I took her cell phone away for half a day, which was horrible for her. We were having a battle/discussion about her going to a doctor, and she walked out of the room on me so she could have avoided the situation. So, I took the cell phone away. Her computer is broken now--but oh boy, she would run to cell phone repair. I like that I can always reach her though. Once another mom lost track of my dd and her own at a mall and called me for my dd's cell phone. I reached my dd immediately. I feel like she is wired. So, I've grown used to be able to reach her for safety reaons.

Well, I hope it helps to know you're not alone. Incidentally, I'm not in anyway suggesting this applies in your case. But if my dd has enough to keep her busy and content in her life, she doesn't need the cell phone or texting. In camp, she was fine becuz. they had so many activities. My friend's dd is very popular and social and she is never on the phone. But they don't allow cells at school--so my dd won't be texting long. At our school though they have to carry a computer at all times---so she'll probably e-mail. My oldest dd thought she wanted to go to boarding school a state away--we wanted her home. Well, finally, I said ok you can go--here is the catalog. She read it and saw you couldn't have a cell phone, threw down the catalog and said I don't want to go to that school as you can't have cell phones. That's when I knew I had a problem. Other kids were going away without cells. Camp was a blessing.

Also, my dd wants to leave this limited social setting, which is pretty snobbish. She was very popular when she looked their version of the perfect child. The minute she got acne and put on weight--she was slighted by these same parents and kids, who were "crazy" about her since she was three. Her few real friends stuck by her, even going to the derm with her. But it had to really hurt!! So, I guess I'm more lenient to her texting faraway friends and camp friends. She gets to mingle with a wider range of people, which I think is healthier. I also am lenient for Facebook. I'm glad she is meeting diverse people there. I am the only mom that doesn't have her password, which I know is a problem. But I saw her go thru so much cliqueishness and snobbery in this school (her teacher said the situation interfered with the students learning!) and my other daughter too (and she is thin as a model and has clear skin) that I'm glad they have a way to get out of this limited social setting, where there is a lot of snobbishness. My 13 yr old rarely is on the cell--she is a compulsive reader, altho she socializes too.

I was from a small farm town, which was limiting in a different way. So, I loved having a pen pal. I think of this as a modern day version of a pen pal. However, the internet and texting those you don't know is tricky. I've investigated people she was on the net with. The local high school teaches us to do it. But my computer specialist said there are too many ways for them to go underground. They can have one account they let parents see, and another account that is private...secret....So, I do my best to keep communication open. Right now, I get her to share Facebook and My Space with me...but I applaud the moms who have passwords.!!!They are right!!! I am wrong...I'm trying to work through it...

In terms of cost, yes, I was staggered too when she was texting this guy nonstop at the cost!!!! I called his mom about it...But I didn't forbid it as I think forbidden fruit is sweeter. I am just trying to broaden her social life--new school, camp, etc. so she won't need to text quite as much as she was. One saving grace is texting is a lot shorter than this letter.LOL OMG look at the length of this--but Moms love other Moms going through the same thing--so I was relieved to see your post. Thanks for sharing!
By the way, I see you listed the number of texts. I'll check hers--I might not gret right back to you though as I may faint!

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-23-2006
Sun, 08-19-2007 - 10:40am
My two who have cell phones use a lot of TM. DS, 19 has 1000 which I upped from 500 several years ago when he had a girlfriend in another school and they were TMing each other during the day and he went over. That has been plenty and now he is at college it is fine. ODD, 16 has unlimited. She started with 500 and then once all her friends had TMing I upped it to 1000. We had an issue with a boyfriend who became an ex boyfriend who was obsessed who sent hundreds of TMs to her and made her account go over so finally I upped it to unlimited just to be on the safe side. With our plan you not only pay for ones you send but ones you receive and I have found there really is no way to limit how many someone sends you. With all the technology I can't figure out why the cell phone co hasn't come up with a way to block a single number.... Anyway, TM in my opinion is harmless and can come in really handy when I need to reach the kids and they are somewhere that they cannot have their phone ring or talk on it. If I need to reach DS, I text him because I can't keep track of his college, work, and service schedule... with DD I text if she is at a church activity or somewhere quiet. I pay for it just for that convenience.
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-04-2003
Sun, 08-19-2007 - 11:06am

I've found text messaging to be a great way to stay in touch with my children. My DS, 16, for example, will text me if he is leaving the house and I can see what's he's up to without having to step out of a meeting at work. DD, age 20 and living in another state, texts me all the time. Texts between family members are free on our plan.

Lately we have had a problem with my DD texting too many to non-family members. Turns out her BOSS (age 35 or so) texts all the assistant managers on a regular basis about changes in schedules, sales figures, etc. That seems a little odd to me - maybe the company should pay for these! DD is paying for the overage.

My son uses about 10 minutes a month on his cell phone and most of those calls are to me! DD uses hundreds of minutes but most are to people within our plan and don't "count" and since she doesn't have a land line, I'm fine with that.

Avatar for bookwormmom
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-22-2003
Sun, 08-19-2007 - 11:52am

Wow! What a diversity of answers. I don't really have a problem with texting, I was just wondering if others text as much as she does. Since it is unlimited there isn't any extra cost, and she is paying for a majority of the cost for it being unlimited. And since she is texting she isn't using her alloted # of calls per month, so we don't even come close to going over on calls.

I too, use texting to keep in touch with her. I can text her in school and when she turns the phone back on there is my text, she does the same with me.

I guess I look at it as their way of communicating, when I was young, a long time ago, we used to write notes to each other. And we used to get frustrated when we couldn't get ahold of people we needed/wanted to talk to. Now they do texting.

We do have some rules though, no texting during family times like dinner together, or if we have family or friends over for the evening. That kind of thing, basic rules of courtesy.

Thanks for all the responses,
Kristie

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2003
Mon, 08-20-2007 - 8:47am
My 16 yr old dd almost exclusively uses text messaging. I think her friends do as well. I had to purchase the unlimited text messaging for her since that's the way she primarily communicates to her buddies.

Pages