Teens, minority groups 'leading the charge' on texting, Pew finds

Teens rely on text messages much more than adults, sending fives times as many texts per day, according to a Pew report released on Thursday. 

Teens send about 50 messages each day, while adults send 10. A greater number of teens have adopted this medium, by a margin of 87 percent to 72. 

The survey defines teens as people ages 12 to 17. Adults are 18 and over.

The study also found that cell phones are more popular among minority groups than among whites. 

African-Americans and English-speaking Hispanics are more likely to own a cell phone and to use it more intensively.

Eighty-seven percent of African-Americans and English-speaking Hispanics own cell phones. Eighty percent of whites do the same. 

“Texting among adults has reached the mainstream and the charge is being led by African-Americans, Hispanics and young adults,” said Amanda Lenhart, a researcher at Pew and the author of the report. 

“Of course, none of these adult groups hold a candle to teens when it comes to texting, who swamp adults in messages sent per day by a factor of five," she added. 

As cell use surges, etiquette is a concern for some. Eighty-six percent of cell users said they find it rude when others check their phones repeatedly during meetings or conversations. 

The findings are based on a nationwide telephone survey of 2,252 American adults conducted between April 29 and May 30, 2010. Read the full report here.