In case you live a life without teenagers, the most recent Pew Internet & American Life Project offers some astounding stats on their current texting habits:

• Half of all U.S. teens send 50 text messages per day.

• One-third send more than 100 messages daily.

• Girls text more than boys — 80-per-day on average compared to 30-per-day.

• 75% of teen phone users have plans with no limits on their SMS use. As a result, they text much more often (70 texts a day) than the 13% with message-cap plans (10 a day) or those who pay as they text (5 a day).

• In-store merchandising drives most new product trials. When consumers were asked what made them pick up and buy a new product in the categories studied, four in 10 said “they saw it on the shelf or display.” There were some differences by category, with cereals being the most responsive to promotions and couponing, and snack purchases influenced most by merchandising.

Source: Market Force Information