How much do you text message?

United States
July 6, 2009 4:13pm CST
When I first got a cell phone in October 2005, I didn't have a plan for text messages and didn't get any. However, after a while, people would text me and I realized I liked it, but it was too expensive. In 2006, I got a plan for a 100 text a month, but I kept going over than. In 2008, when I got a different plan, I got unlimited text messages. I was just looking over my bill to see how many I send and was shocked. I send 955 and got 862 last month! How many do you send? How many do you get?
7 people like this
44 responses
• United States
6 Jul 09
I'm probably on the opposite end of everyone else here. I'm the only person my age (20 years) that I know that hates cell phones with a passion. I have one, but try to only use it for emergencies. Checking my cell phone now (first time I've touched it in three days), I received 141 text messages last month, and sent about 90. It was actually a very busy month for texts for me because my friend who refuses to call and would rather text is having personal issues. Talking face to face with someone is more my style, but I thought I'd throw in those numbers to even things out. :)
1 person likes this
• United States
7 Jul 09
Thanks for the reply. why do you dislike cellphones? Do you dislike speaking on them, too?
1 person likes this
• United States
7 Jul 09
Hi! I mostly dislike cell phones because I don't like talking on the phone in general; I prefer face-to-face interaction if at all possible. Cell phones tend to be more of an inconvenience to me than a convenience. Checking voicemail, charging the phone, paying an extra bill, having to deal with texts when I don't even like talking on the phone...all so I can have it during emergencies. The only reason I don't get rid of it is because I've had a number of emergencies where it's helped me out. Being as young as I am, though, I have some friends who simply don't call my home; they text my cell instead. If I were to get rid of my cell phone, it might cause mass confusion! :) I definitely understand why cell phones are good for some, though. My father has a business where he's on the road visiting his properties on a daily basis (he is in the real estate field) while having to do business over the phone, so a cell phone has done wonders for him. I don't see them as entertainment like many people do these days, though.
• United States
6 Jul 09
I have unlimited local and long distance talk, text, picture messaging, internet and instant messaging at MetroPCS. I use all of it ALOT. lol. I'm not sure. I would say, sending and recieving, i average only like 30 or 40 or so every day... sometimes i have a slow month or somethig, but im not sure how many i do exactly since i dont get a bill telling me how many =/
1 person likes this
• United States
7 Jul 09
That's weird it's not on your bill.
@bjcyrix (6901)
• Philippines
7 Jul 09
Unlimited Texting Generation - Text messaging, or texting is a colloquial term referring to the exchange of brief written messages between mobile phones, over cellular networks. While the term most often refers to messages sent using the Short Message Service (SMS), it has been extended to include messages containing image, video, and sound content, such as MMS messages. Individual messages are referred to as "text messages" or "texts".
Im really not sure as to how many messages Ive sent a day but in keeping track with my electronic load credits, sometimes 112 sms messages per 2 days is enough for me. Well, now that I have a new phone that has a sent message box and shows the number of messages in the message boxes like the Inbox and the Sent Items, I can keep track of my messages. I think I average around 130 messages per day. It depends on the promo service that I avail of actually. Like that unlimited texting. Its definitely cheaper to avail of unlimited text promos rather than buy regular load credits. Right now, my message counter(which is a feature of the phone) shows 8099 messages sent and 8475 messages received. That's of course in a span of 2 or 3 months and with the use of unlimited texting. I try to get the most that I can of that service. I havent been able to clear the counters to check just how many messages I send and receive each month because I dont know the security code of this phone. Anyway, its okay, Im just gonna have to find a way someday.^_^
• United States
8 Jul 09
Cool picture. Wow, you text more than I do. hehe
@berlong (227)
• United States
6 Jul 09
I've been texting ever since I got a cell phone when I was 16, I am now 20 years old and actually text more than I talk on my cell phone. Texting is more convienant to me, also it's less public, no one hears what I am saying as well as can't eavesdrop on my conversation. It's great to be able to text my husband and family members while at work and they are working. I send simple texts like a reminder to pick up milk on his way home or such. I honestly cannot give you a count of how many text I send and recieve a month due to the fact that its in the high hundreds if not thousand. I have an unlimited texting plan to save me on my cellular bill, thank god! Texting is awesome!
@candy2306 (576)
• India
7 Jul 09
Wow I think I can call you a SMS freak! Here I don't get bill on the SMS count, therefore I don't know how many I send and recieve. But on an average I send 10 and probably get 10 too. So 10 SMS x 30 days will be 300 SMS per month. Not any where near you at all!!!
• United States
7 Jul 09
I can be. It's just many people I speak to don't have the same carrier and it would cost too much to call them, or use up all my minutes before the month is over. I also don't like to always talk on the phone.
@dex1007 (556)
• Malaysia
7 Jul 09
955???????? wow.... erm... i might text like 10 message per month. I used to be really huge on messaging.. but now i'm just to lazy to type it out. So i'll just ring em up.
• United States
7 Jul 09
I was shocked, too. I used to text more than that. One month, I had like 1,300 text sent and I think like 2,000 recieved.
@KrauseHome (36449)
• United States
26 Aug 09
Well, I have only had Text messaging on my phone now around 6 months at most. At first I chose the under 400 plan and did OK. Then I started collecting people's numbers and sending and receiving Texts to where 400 was never enough. Now I still only have 1000 and closest I came was like 700, but I might use more than this this month. Maybe someday I will need unlimited.
• Philippines
16 May 11
Hi there smartie0317! I have postpaid plans for my cell phones from different networks. I found it more practical considering that I call more than text. I really do not text that much. Well, unless really necessary that is. Otherwise, I would rather call. I receive a lot of text messages especially regarding business. Next in line would be from my students. Then, from my friends and family. I prefer calling since I can say more in a minute of call than I can when I text.
@abetole (221)
• India
7 Jul 09
Hello, when I started using cell phone in July 2000, I was not texting much as at that time the cell phone concept and the costs were high. After that from 2002 to let's say 2007, I was sending text messages at an average of 50 per day and receiving at an average of 70 per day; however now it has been reduced a lot as I use my phone mainly for phone calls, internet and checking my emails. Another thins is that in my plan, the local call costs are lower than text messaging costs...cheers...
• United States
7 Jul 09
It seems texting is the thing to do when you're younger, but as you get older not so much.
• United States
7 Jul 09
Texting is one of the fun things to do as a student. In India most of the student plans will have free texting or 100 msgs free in a day. So a minimum of 2000 msgs a month was normal. As students none of us would call, all of us used to text each other thereby not spending much money and enjoying the luxury of cell phone. Cell phone added more color and comfort to each one's life as it was always wonderful to read thoughtful quotes, laugh at the forwarded jokes, get a gossip update and also the class schedule updates. All of us were experts in typing a message without seeing the phone that we used to send each other text msgs when the class was going on:)
• United States
7 Jul 09
You know, you bring up a good point.Students tend to text message a lot. All of my friends who are in school text message a lot. We frequently do it when bored or in class, if we can get away with it. All of my friends who are no longer in school don't seem to text message much, or at all.
@haiershen (1080)
• China
7 Jul 09
wow,one month send 955 text message, sounds more, i seldom used the message, only on the special day, i will send my best wish to my friend or my colleague or classmate.i have a colleague, she use the text message instend of telephone,her nearly send over five hundred per month, she text very fastly and almost text on her all spare time.one day, i said to her that:"could you live without cellphone", "no" she answered. i think you have the same situation like her. take care!
• United States
7 Jul 09
lol The funny thing is I don't like to speak on the phone that often. I only have three friends who I can talk to on the phone for an hour, or hours, at a time. Sadly, only one of them has the same carrier as me. So, only me and her can talk whenever. The other two, I text until my night and/or weekend minutes kick in. I do prefer to text most people, though.
• New Zealand
7 Jul 09
hey smartie0317,i usually send 2000 a month and people send me about 20050 i dont usually text people first. you arent too bad.
• United States
7 Jul 09
You must have a lot of friends if you get over 20,000 texts a month.
@cashbagz (16)
• United States
7 Jul 09
I would say an average month is 2000, 1000 sent and received for me. Texting is a habit and some days I dont at all other days I am around 200. It is an essential to the young population and it will most likely come standard with a cell phone plan.
• United States
7 Jul 09
I never seen texting come free with a phone. However, I agree. Some days I text nothing and some days I get and send like 50.
@sweet_pea (3322)
• Philippines
17 Jun 11
I usually exchange text messages with my husband and a cousin who looks after my son. We all use the same SMS network so we can save more since we can make unlimited calls and have unlimited texting. For 3 lines and with free handphones we availed of it for $23 (Php999) a month. Our bill for a month usually would double that amount .
@kellys3ps (3723)
• United States
9 Jul 09
I text quite a bit now, since I got my iphone in December. Before that I never texted.
@vicky30 (4766)
• India
23 Jul 09
I never text message much.I just use it to send happy birthday when a friends phone is switched off.I also use it to check my mobile bill.I also use it to send phone number and messages to my friends.I have a plan of 100 free messages still i don't use it much.When i get forwards which are good i send it to all my friends.
@nanajanet (4436)
• United States
8 Jul 09
I rarely text. In fact, I rarely use my cell phone. I have it for convenience but it is not something I really need a lot, so no, I hardly text.
@afdinki (83)
• United States
10 Jul 09
I don't really test that much. I do text sometimes. But I try to stay busy and texting for long conversations just takes too long. I'd rather just talk to them on the phone. I do have unlimited text messages because I don't want to exceed the number of text messages and it's relatively cheaper.
@indahfth (11161)
• Indonesia
11 Jul 09
I do not know how many messages I send and I get. I write a message if I really need to send a message.
@nrn2003 (661)
• United States
8 Jul 09
I do alot of text messaging. I text way more than talk on the phone. it just is an easier form of communication since i work all day long. I also talk on tthep hone alot for my job so I dont like to talk on the phone alot when I get off.