For Texting Teens, an OMG Moment When the Phone Bill Arrives – washingtonpost.com
Sofia Rubenstein, 17, got in trouble the way a lot of teens do these days.
“It’s whatever pops into my head. There’s no stopping it,” she said. “Sometimes I’ll be on the phone with someone and I get texted, and then I’m having two conversations at once.”
Last month the Washington high school junior used 6,807 text messages, which, at a rate of 15 cents apiece for most of them, pushed the family’s Verizon Wireless bill to more than $1,100 for the month. Sofia knew she’d been texting a lot but couldn’t believe the “incredible” number she hit. “I just thought, oh my God, my life is over,” she said.
Indeed. Sofia will be working in her parents’ retail store this summer to pay off her debt — but she definitely won’t be the only teenager paying for text abuse. Minutes? Forget minutes. It’s all about the text allowance.