Data Tuesday: Text Messaging

by March 20, 2012

Despite increasing competition from alternative messaging solutions (iMessage, Facebook Messenger, etc.), text messaging in the United States continues to grow as a core mobile activity especially among Americans 18-24.

  • Texting in the United States grew 10 percent in the first quarter of 2011. That was down from 16 percent growth in the fourth quarter of 2010. (source)
  • In September 2011, 73% of American cell phone owners were texting. (source)
  • Americans aged 18 and 24 exchanged an average of 109.5 messages on a typical day. The median user in this age group sent or received 50 messages per day. (source)
  • This month, the volume of texting among teens rose from 50 texts a day in 2009 to 60 texts for the median teen text user. (source)
  • Adults in the U.S. traded an average of 41.5 messages a day, with the median user sending or receiving 10 texts daily. (source)
  • The average e-mail is read 48 hours after it is sent, while the average SMS is read in four minutes. (source)
  • In the first half of 2009, Americans sent 4.1 billion texts per day. (source)