WASHINGTON - While most adults see texting as one of several ways to communicate, many teens see it as the only way to speak to their friends.

In fact, a new study reveals that American teenagers send and receive an astounding number of messages a month.

For many teens, texting is a non-stop activity. "Throughout school, when I'm home, doing homework, on the computer, at night -- whenever I can -- whenever the phone's next to me," said teenager Owyn Mason.

Texting is not allowed during class, but getting in touch with friends during school has become a talent of sorts. "People text all the time, like there's people texting during class, in the hallways, after school -- all the time because it's so much more convenient than calling people," said Daniel Herbick, a student.

Thanks in part of to unlimited texting cell phone plans, teen texting has skyrocketed. Nielson Company data of more than 60,000 wireless subscribers shows teens between 13 and 17 years old sent and received on average more than 2,200 texts a month in the fourth quarter of 2008 -- more than double the year before.

Teens are now texting at five times the rate general population -- upsetting many parents.. "She does it all day long... with us, when she wakes up," said Felicia Logan-Crawford, a parent. "She keeps her phone on continuously."

"My mom took my phone away yesterday when we were at the mall," said teenager Lauren Serpan. "She was like, 'You're not even looking at stuff -- you're just texting.'"

Nielsen reports texting has now surpassed cell phone calls with the younger teens and tweens even more likely to text than their older siblings.

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