2,000+ Unknown Words Used by Teens in More Than 1.2 Million Text Messages Every Minute

LG Electronics has carried out a survey of text messaging habits by US teenagers that revealed that teens and their younger counterparts--tweens--are sending 20,209 texts every second, or more than 1.2 million texts every minute, in the USA.

The LG survey, which was conducted by the research firm Interpret, also revealed that there is a privacy issue for teens when it comes to their text messages. For teens, text messages rank higher in privacy than diaries or emails: 52% of teens say a parent reading their text messages is worse than if they read their emails or diaries. One of the reasons may be that about a third of teens feel more comfortable speaking freely over text: 32% of teens feel like they can say things in a text message that they wouldn't have the nerve to say otherwise.

While teens may dread their parents reading their text messages, the reality is that parents - especially younger parents with teens in their household - are checking their teens' messages. According to the LG Survey, 31% of teens think parents check their texts, but the number is actually higher with 47% of younger parents having actually read their teens' texts without consent.

Another finding from the LG Survey is that parents are increasingly using texting as a form of communication, especially among younger parents. While not as high as teens, younger parents are texting more frequently than older parents, which suggests a familiarity and ease with this technology among newer generations. Results from the survey show that younger parents are sending 25 texts per day compared to 9 texts per day for older parents.

LG has subsequently launched a translation website which converts txt-speak into plain English.

"Teens are constantly creating new ways to communicate, and while texting is not a new phenomenon, the unique shorthand phrases that have been created as a result are growing daily," stated Ehtisham Rabbani, vice president of product strategy and marketing for LG Mobile Phones. "To some, the text messaging language is the preferred way to communicate, and it's exciting that our mobile phones are facilitating this movement. LG DTXTR is a tool to keep everyone - young and old - current with the language, and as it grows, it enhances our understanding of what's important to teenagers."

"The findings of the study are clear. Teens see text messaging as a means to communicate intimately but are also guarded about their privacy. The texting language has evolved to become increasingly more cryptic as a way to secure that privacy," said Elaine B. Coleman, Ph.D., vice president, strategy and analysis at Interpret. "The data also reveal that parents of teens who text have legitimate concerns about the content and nature of their teens' text or sext messages."

Sexting, the act of sending a message via text that is sexual in nature, often times with an image or video, has been on the rise. With the rise of sexting, parents are concerned about the sexual content of their teens' text messages, and the survey shows that a third of teens have experienced a sext message before: 62% of parents would be worried if their teens' message was of a sexual nature, and according to the survey, 33% of teens have already received a sext message. With the LG DTXTR, parents can decode messages to reveal the true meaning of the text, ensuring their teenagers are not in any harm or acting inappropriately.

The site was developed internally by LG and shared with the blogging community prior to public release to receive their feedback and provide an online tool that is effective for the online community.

The LG DTXTR site can be found at: www.LGDTXTR.com.

The survey was conducted online by Interpret between April 8th and April 13th, 2009 among 1000 US teens who text and 1,049 US parents of teens who text. Results were weighted, or adjusted, to reflect the general US population by demographic factors such as age, gender, and ethnicity. The margin of error for the study was +/-3 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

Posted to the site on 28th May 2009