Click the play button on the video window to the see the storyPHOENIX -- Texting has become so popular among teenagers that many are creating hundreds a day.
Terrell Ramsey told us he routinely sends 400 messages in a single day. And some teens are texting 5,000 and 6,000 a month. That's a lot!
Laura Merritt of
Verizon Wireless said teens are texting at all hours, even when parents think they are sleeping.
In addition, many teens are now "sexting" -- texting about sex and sending semi-nude photos of themselves.
But there are solutions. Verizon and most other cell providers now offer parental controls as long as your teen is on your family plan.
These controls allow a parent to block photos, if necessary, and to set time parameters for texting, like not during class or after 10 p.m.
Finally, Verizon and other providers continue to offer text slang dictionaries so you can keep up on terms like "wan2" (want to), "xlnt" (excellent) and "pos" (parents over shoulder.)
Most police agencies say that for a teen under age 18 whose parents are paying your cell phone bill, safety and security are more important than privacy.
So you might not be the most popular parent for setting limits, but your child will understand when they're an adult.
