If you're over 30 years of age, how often do you text message on your cell phone? Probably not nearly as often as the 18 to 29 age group. That group primarily uses cell phones to send text messages. NewsChannel 8's Yvonne Harris discovered the message is clear -- you have to text to connect to the younger generation. "During one quarter of last year, a three month period, we saw 18-billion -- that's billion with a "B" -- text messages over our network."

Now, that number is even higher, with 32-billion text messages on the AT&T network last quarter. And, the demographics keep changing.

"It was more for anyone from 18 to 24 age group, now it's anywhere from 10 years old to 40 years old," says AT&T Retail Manager Nikki Johnson.

Texting is quick, it's easy and it's a fun way to communicate. And for this reason, adults are giving their kids cell phones because it's an easy way to stay in touch. Just ask students at Charles Page High School.

"Okay got a questions for you guys, who has a cell phone? How many of you text message?"

They tell us they send and receive anywhere from two-thousand to 10-thousand messages a month.

"I want to see what's on your text message right now. Show me something. Okay stop! Hey stop erasing things. Look at all these who are getting on their cell phones, stop erasing things guys, we're not erasing things what are you all doing? Texting."

And for students who text during school without permission?

"I got two days suspension for hiding it under my coat."

Teachers are hip to texting.

"If you see that eye movement you can usually catch them in the act," says Andrea Campfield, who says she has confiscated 30 cell phones since August, proving texting can be addictive.

As a parent herself, Andrea monitors her own son and sets limits.

"We do check it regularly."

Experts agree this is a good practice for parents and does not cross the line of a child's privacy especially when for example their grades are suffering.

"If a child said 'no, I don't want you to see my text messages', I'd say whoa, what are you afraid I'd see," says Claudia Arthrell with Family & Children's Services.

To help parents better monitor their child's texting, we checked with Sprint, U.S. Cellular and Verizon. Each can block your child's text messages at no additional charge. AT&T has "smart limits for wireless." But, there's an additional monthly charge.

"It provides parents a way to set limits on text messaging on minutes used, can set up a block of time where child can call or can't call."

The bottom line is, when kids use cell phones and texting, they need boundaries and its up to parents to help set them.

"Just because they pay for it and have a job and have a phone doesn't mean I don't have the right for the information because I'm a responsible parent," Arthrell says.

If you would like to monitor your child's e-mails, call logs and text messages, there is a service called Radar. It costs $9.95 per month. To learn more about it, visit www.mymobilewatchdog.com.