Americans have gone text-crazy

According to data released Tuesday by the Census Bureau, Americans fired off 110 billion text messages in December 2008. In the same month in 2007, they sent 48 billion. Not surprisingly, the trend is especially prevalent among teenagers, said Amanda Lenhart, a senior research specialist for the Pew Internet and American Life Project. "Teens are still developing their communication habits. Adults have preset ones already," she said. So why is texting a teen trend? It's efficient, and it's private. Teens can text silently in a car's back seat or in the family room without potential for embarrassment, Lenhart said.