Mobile phone customers in the U.S. are now using their cell phones for text messaging more than they are for talking, according to the recent research from Nielson Company. Neilson indicated that its results were reached after it evaluated the cell phone bills of 50,000 U.S. consumers as its sample, and also said that this was the second consecutive quarter where text messaging had exceeded actual talk time.

U.S. mobile phone users have not embraced text messaging as quickly as consumers in Europe and Asia, but that trend seems to be changing. Neilson indicated that the average U.S. mobile phone customer sent or received 357 texts a month for this quarter, versus 204 voice calls in the second quarter that ended June 30th.

The highest numbers of text messages are being sent by teenagers, which is no surprise. However the average number of texts is a surprise: 13 to 17 year-olds averaged 1,742 texts a month each, compared with 231 mobile phone calls.

The number of texts handled per person appears to decline with age with 18 to 24 year olds sending text exchanges of 790 a month compared with 265 phone calls. People 65 years or older send or receive 14 texts a month compared with 99 voice calls. People from 55 years old to 64 years old handle 38 texts a month and 45 to 54 year-olds send 128 texts a month while they have 193 cell phone voice conversations.