Posted on 06/12/2009 3:04:45 PM PDT by lewisglad
This isn't exactly proud papa news: My daughter, Reina, who recently turned 13, just racked up 14,528 text messages in one month.
Thank God she's too young to drive.
Given that she's had a cell phone for less than six months, and she is supposed to share the phone with her 14-year-old brother (and use it mainly for emergencies) — well, I'm speechless.
Or should I say, textless?
Her mother, Manako, recently got the phone bill from AT&T. Only 23 pages of the bill came with the bill mailed to her home in Lake Forest.
Manako went online and looked at the PDF version of the bill. The PDF file, covering the period from Nov. 27 to Dec. 26, totaled 440 pages.
OK, the bill included charges for two other phones, including one belonging to Reina's 22-year-old sister, Hana, who accounted for a comparatively modest 7,101 text messages during the same period. Older sister Marina, 24, accounted for a measly (whew!) 700.
But still…A 440-page phone bill? Thankfully, Manako signed up all of them for unlimited texting.
If not, the 20 cents per text for Reina would have totaled $2,905.60.
That's a lot of house chores.
•••
I'm no math whiz, but I did some quick calculations on Reina's thumb-numbing total.
Assuming my daughter slept an average of eight hours during the billing period (she usually sleeps more), that works out to 484 text messages a day — or a text message every two minutes she was awake.
Could AT&T have made some mistake?
Wishful thinking. It's all true, based on the PDF file I reviewed.
I definitely am not LMAO (laughing my, er, butt off).
One small consolation: The 14,528 total includes text messages both sent and received.
Really, though. Is that any consolation?
.
(Excerpt) Read more at ocregister.com ...
Turn
Off
Her
Phone
I’d say a good spanking with termination of privileges is in order.
Take the phone
With hair like that on a grown man, no wonder he can’t control his child.
Obamacare will not be able to afford to cover arthroscopic surgery for Texter Thumbs. By 2015 half the nation will be crippled with it and lose the ability to use their formerly opposable thumbs.
Why does a 13 year old need a phone with unlimited anything? My daughter is 22 so thank god I didn’t have to fight this battle but I think if I had to deal with it now it would pretty much be an emergency only phone for when she is not a home. Just my 2cents.
Looks like she is running the show on your nickel.
Who is the boss and who pays the bills?
What a freaking dope.
Decommission the cell phone - permanently.
Thirty years from now our civilization will collapse because an entire generation will be unable to work due to crippled thumbs from a lifetime of texting.
My kids were texting like mad when they first got their phones. Not in the same league with this girl but still a lot.
After a couple months they got bored with it. We got the phones for the kids because we wanted to be able to get a hold of them when we needed to (one of them is diabetic). Now we have to threaten them to keep it with them and keep it charged.
A dozen krisp kremes says mommy is paying the phone bill.
Interesting but not surprising. I'm a 40 year-old man who has come to appreciate texting. I got into the habit when my wife lived overseas and it was cheaper to text than call and I've maintained the habit with my friends and coworkers (as they do as well). Sometimes it's more convenient to send someone a text message than to disturb them with a phone call. I usually send up to a half dozen texts a day and receive about the same.
Sending a text every two waking minutes is just crazy. What's she learning in class?
I would suggest investing more of your time with your daughter/family. She wouldn’t have time to be on the phone or texting.
I’m sure he’s “best friends” with his children.
didnt read the whole thing but,”PARENT”
It’s pretty clear that you and your wife have allowed your daughter to behave in a completely out of control manner, at least in this one aspect of her life. (She may be an otherwise excellent child).
I don’t blame her, but I would hold her responsible. Is this something you are willing to do or capable of doing? If not, you need to see a family therapist - not some twit that wants to process your feelings. You need someone who can teach you parenting skills.
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