Teens and Texting By Kimberly Burgess-Neloms, Youth Development & Volunteerism Specialist

When was the last time you and your teenager had a face to face conversation? Text messaging has become more prevalent and replaced some formal communication. According to Nielsen's research, teen mobile subscribers in the United States (US) between the ages of 13-17 now send or receive an average of 1,742 text messages per month in comparison to receiving 231 mobile phone calls. So, what is text messaging?

Text messaging is the way to communicate on your mobile phone by receiving plain text messages. Text messaging is through a communication protocol called SMS that stands for Short Message Service. SMS allows messages to be sent via cell phone with a limitation of 160 characters. Nielsen's research concluded that about 200 million of the 259 million wireless subscriber lines in the US subscribe to or purchase text-messaging capabilities. Of these, 138 million send text-messages on a regular basis (Covey, 2008). For quick communication, teens are using codes such as LOL (laugh out loud), CU l8r (see you later), and wuz4dina (what's for dinner). Other popular text terms include

U - You	THK - Thanks	POS - Parents over shoulder
BRB - Be right back	TTYL - Talk to you later	GTG - Got to go
VBG - Very big grin	K - Ok	NP - Nosy parents or No problem
B4N - Bye for now	NM - Not much	RBTL - Read between the lines
J/K - Just kidding	4U2C - For you to see	TYVM - Thank you very much
(Source: www.netlingo.com)

In the technology era, managing how and when to text is important. These tips will help you to remain focused when texting:

1. Place cell phone in an accessible place so it is easy to find.
2. Avoid texting when walking, driving any kind of vehicle, running or jogging, operating machinery such as a lawnmower, or using fitness equipment.
3. Text only when you are not putting others in harm's way.

Parents are encouraged to keep the lines of communication open with your teen and to stress safety when using a cell phone. Even if you do not know how to text, encourage your teen to help you. Teens are more likely to respond to a text message from parents versus a phone call because it is more discreet. So, the next time your teen texts you, "Wuz4dina?" Reply with, "VBG, lftovrs."

NetLingo. (2009). Top 50 most popular text terms. Retrieved October 12, 2009.

Covey, N. (n.d.). Flying fingers. Texting. Retrieved October 12, 2009.

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