The following facts and statistics will explore the role that technology plays in the lives of American teenagers.

• An AP poll found that 43% of teens use instant messaging for things they wouldn’t say in person. Twenty-two percent say they use text messaging to ask someone out on a date, and 13% use it to break up. One in ten teens say they spend 3 or more hours instant messaging each day, and 17% estimated they send more than 100 IM’s daily. (Maui News, 11-16-07)
• 24% of teen girls sleep with their cell phones so that they won’t miss a text message. (wiredsafety.org)
• As of 2011, around 75 % of teens owned cell phone. (Hellmich, 2-28-2011)
• 2,272 text messages are sent and received every month by the average American teen, according to the Nielson Company. This amounts to almost 80 messages a day. (6-8-09 Time, p. 15)

Technology that teens treasure most

Things that youth ages 12 to 17 believe that they can’t live without: (Source: USA Today, 2-15-2010, p. 1A)

1. Cell phone: 47%
2. TV: 42%
3. Microwave: 27%
4. Google: 22%
5. Video games: 22%

47% of parents say that they check their teens’ text messages, yet only 31% of teens say their parents check their text messages. (USA Today, 6-25-2009, p. 10)