GITNUXREPORT 2026

Texting Or Calling Statistics

Texting dominates communication globally while voice calls continue to decline.

Sarah Mitchell

Senior Researcher specializing in consumer behavior and market trends.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

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Statistic 1

Women aged 18-24 send 40% more texts than men

Statistic 2

95% of African American teens text daily vs 82% white teens

Statistic 3

Boomers make 60% more voice calls than Gen Z

Statistic 4

Urban dwellers text 25% more than rural

Statistic 5

88% of parents text kids under 18 daily

Statistic 6

Males aged 25-34 average 50 calls monthly vs 35 for females

Statistic 7

Low-income households use texting 2x more for communication

Statistic 8

72% of seniors over 65 now text regularly, up from 50% in 2019

Statistic 9

Hispanic Americans prefer WhatsApp calls at 65%

Statistic 10

College students: 60% female vs 40% male heavy texters

Statistic 11

Rural Gen Z calls 15% more due to poor signal

Statistic 12

LGBTQ+ youth text friends 30% more than straight peers

Statistic 13

Married couples text 40 times daily on average

Statistic 14

Single parents use calls 50% more for coordination

Statistic 15

Asian Americans lead in video calling at 80%

Statistic 16

Teens in high-income families text 120/day vs 80 low-income

Statistic 17

Women over 50 text 70% vs 55% men over 50

Statistic 18

Black adults use voice assistants 25% more in calls

Statistic 19

Students with disabilities text 40% more for accessibility

Statistic 20

Veterans prefer calls for mental health at 75%

Statistic 21

Immigrants use international calls 3x native-born

Statistic 22

Empty nesters increase texting with kids by 50%

Statistic 23

Gamers aged 18-24 text during sessions 80% time

Statistic 24

Remote workers: 65% female prefer Slack calls over texts

Statistic 25

Excessive screen time from texting linked to 20% higher depression risk

Statistic 26

Phantom vibrations from texts affect 89% of users

Statistic 27

Night texting delays sleep onset by 45 minutes

Statistic 28

Heavy texters show 15% reduced attention span

Statistic 29

Call reluctance tied to social anxiety in 40% young adults

Statistic 30

Blue light from phones causes 25% melatonin suppression

Statistic 31

Text neck syndrome affects 60% heavy users

Statistic 32

FOMO from unread texts increases stress by 30%

Statistic 33

Voice calls reduce loneliness 20% more than texts

Statistic 34

RSI from typing: 35 cases per 1000 users annually

Statistic 35

Cyberbullying via text: 59% of teens experienced

Statistic 36

Nomophobia (phone separation anxiety): 66% prevalence

Statistic 37

Eye strain from screens: 70% report daily symptoms

Statistic 38

Emotional misreads in texts: 40% higher than calls

Statistic 39

Hearing loss from loud calls: 1 in 5 young adults

Statistic 40

Dopamine hits from texts mimic addiction in 50%

Statistic 41

Poor posture from phubbing: 55% relationship dissatisfaction

Statistic 42

Sleep texting: 1 in 10 teens do it nightly

Statistic 43

Anxiety from delayed replies: 72% millennials

Statistic 44

Reduced empathy from text-only: 25% lower scores

Statistic 45

Thumb arthritis risk up 15% in heavy texters

Statistic 46

Vocal strain from calls: 20% more in customer service

Statistic 47

Social isolation paradox: more texts, less connection 30%

Statistic 48

70% prefer texting over calling for convenience

Statistic 49

Gen Z avoids calls: 64% anxiety about them

Statistic 50

82% millennials choose text for quick queries

Statistic 51

Professionals: 56% prefer async messaging

Statistic 52

90% customers prefer SMS for alerts over calls

Statistic 53

Introverts text 3x more than extroverts

Statistic 54

68% hate voicemail, delete without listening

Statistic 55

Dating: 80% start with texts, calls later

Statistic 56

Businesses: 85% conversion from texts vs 10% calls

Statistic 57

62% feel obligated to answer calls immediately

Statistic 58

Night owls prefer late-night texts 70%

Statistic 59

Parents: 55% call for emergencies only

Statistic 60

73% use GIFs/memes in texts daily

Statistic 61

Remote teams: video over audio calls 40%

Statistic 62

50% screen calls from unknown numbers

Statistic 63

Flirting via text: 92% of young adults

Statistic 64

65% mute notifications for calls but not texts

Statistic 65

Job interviews: 30% prefer video calls now

Statistic 66

78% abandon carts recover via SMS

Statistic 67

Therapy: 45% prefer text-based over calls

Statistic 68

Gaming chats: text over voice 60%

Statistic 69

89% read receipts cause response pressure

Statistic 70

45% of texting while driving crashes involve 18-24 year olds

Statistic 71

Texting increases crash risk by 23 times vs calling's 6 times

Statistic 72

1 in 4 accidents in U.S. due to phone distraction

Statistic 73

Hands-free calling still doubles reaction time delay

Statistic 74

660,000 drivers use phones at any moment on roads

Statistic 75

Teen drivers texting: 40% admit to it regularly

Statistic 76

Phone use causes 25% of police-reported crashes

Statistic 77

Nighttime texting risk 3x higher due to visibility

Statistic 78

Commercial drivers: 8% distracted by calls constantly

Statistic 79

Bluetooth reduces but doesn't eliminate cognitive distraction by 37%

Statistic 80

Cyclists texting: 1.8x crash risk increase

Statistic 81

Pedestrians texting: 4x more likely hit by cars

Statistic 82

94% of drivers multitask with phones

Statistic 83

Crash severity up 70% with texting involvement

Statistic 84

School bus drivers: 10% phone use leads to near-misses

Statistic 85

Alcohol + texting: 5x risk multiplier

Statistic 86

Global road deaths from distraction: 1.35 million annually

Statistic 87

Hands-free laws reduce crashes by 4% only

Statistic 88

Elderly drivers calling: 2x distraction rate

Statistic 89

Motorcycle riders texting: 11x crash risk

Statistic 90

50 states ban texting, 19 ban all handheld use

Statistic 91

Insurance claims up 30% with phone proof

Statistic 92

81% parents text while driving with kids

Statistic 93

Drowsy + phone: equivalent to 0.08 BAC

Statistic 94

In 2023, 85% of Americans sent or received at least one text message per day

Statistic 95

Globally, the average person sends 23 texts per day as of 2022

Statistic 96

U.S. mobile users exchanged over 2 trillion SMS messages in 2022

Statistic 97

96% of smartphone owners use texting as their primary communication method

Statistic 98

Daily voice calls averaged 4.5 per U.S. adult in 2023

Statistic 99

Text messaging volume grew 15% year-over-year in 2022 globally

Statistic 100

78% of Gen Z prefer texting over calling daily

Statistic 101

Average texting session lasts 2-3 minutes compared to 5 minutes for calls

Statistic 102

In 2023, RCS messaging overtook SMS with 10 billion messages daily

Statistic 103

92% of U.S. teens text daily, averaging 100+ messages

Statistic 104

Corporate users send 45 billion texts monthly for authentication

Statistic 105

Voice call duration dropped 20% since 2019 due to texting rise

Statistic 106

70% of adults check texts within 5 minutes of receipt

Statistic 107

Global MMS traffic reached 1.5 billion daily in 2022

Statistic 108

Emergency texts via 911 increased 300% post-2020

Statistic 109

55% of workers text colleagues more than call

Statistic 110

Daily WhatsApp voice calls: 1 billion minutes

Statistic 111

U.S. landline calls fell to 10% of total communications in 2023

Statistic 112

Text open rates average 98% vs 20% for email

Statistic 113

40% of texts sent between 8 PM and 8 AM

Statistic 114

VoIP calls surpassed traditional calls by 25% in 2022

Statistic 115

Average millennial sends 75 texts daily

Statistic 116

Group texts account for 30% of all SMS traffic

Statistic 117

International calls via apps: 60 billion minutes monthly

Statistic 118

Text response time averages 90 seconds

Statistic 119

65% use voice-to-text for 20% of messages

Statistic 120

Peak texting hours: 7-9 PM, 35% of daily volume

Statistic 121

Call abandonment rate: 25% due to wait times

Statistic 122

Emoji usage in texts: 92% of millennials

Statistic 123

Video calls daily: 300 million on Zoom alone in 2023

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We're living in a world where our phones buzz constantly, yet the simple choice between sending a text or making a call can shape our relationships, safety, and mental well-being.

Key Takeaways

In 2023, 85% of Americans sent or received at least one text message per day
Globally, the average person sends 23 texts per day as of 2022
U.S. mobile users exchanged over 2 trillion SMS messages in 2022
Women aged 18-24 send 40% more texts than men
95% of African American teens text daily vs 82% white teens
Boomers make 60% more voice calls than Gen Z
45% of texting while driving crashes involve 18-24 year olds
Texting increases crash risk by 23 times vs calling's 6 times
1 in 4 accidents in U.S. due to phone distraction
70% prefer texting over calling for convenience
Gen Z avoids calls: 64% anxiety about them
82% millennials choose text for quick queries
Excessive screen time from texting linked to 20% higher depression risk
Phantom vibrations from texts affect 89% of users
Night texting delays sleep onset by 45 minutes

Texting dominates communication globally while voice calls continue to decline.

Demographics

Women aged 18-24 send 40% more texts than men
95% of African American teens text daily vs 82% white teens
Boomers make 60% more voice calls than Gen Z
Urban dwellers text 25% more than rural
88% of parents text kids under 18 daily
Males aged 25-34 average 50 calls monthly vs 35 for females
Low-income households use texting 2x more for communication
72% of seniors over 65 now text regularly, up from 50% in 2019
Hispanic Americans prefer WhatsApp calls at 65%
College students: 60% female vs 40% male heavy texters
Rural Gen Z calls 15% more due to poor signal
LGBTQ+ youth text friends 30% more than straight peers
Married couples text 40 times daily on average
Single parents use calls 50% more for coordination
Asian Americans lead in video calling at 80%
Teens in high-income families text 120/day vs 80 low-income
Women over 50 text 70% vs 55% men over 50
Black adults use voice assistants 25% more in calls
Students with disabilities text 40% more for accessibility
Veterans prefer calls for mental health at 75%
Immigrants use international calls 3x native-born
Empty nesters increase texting with kids by 50%
Gamers aged 18-24 text during sessions 80% time
Remote workers: 65% female prefer Slack calls over texts

Demographics Interpretation

Here’s a witty but serious one-sentence interpretation: Our communication habits are a tribal dance of necessity and identity, where we shout, whisper, and emoji our way across the gaps of age, income, and love, proving that whether we call or text, we're all just desperately trying to be heard in our own native tongue.

Health and Psychological Effects

Excessive screen time from texting linked to 20% higher depression risk
Phantom vibrations from texts affect 89% of users
Night texting delays sleep onset by 45 minutes
Heavy texters show 15% reduced attention span
Call reluctance tied to social anxiety in 40% young adults
Blue light from phones causes 25% melatonin suppression
Text neck syndrome affects 60% heavy users
FOMO from unread texts increases stress by 30%
Voice calls reduce loneliness 20% more than texts
RSI from typing: 35 cases per 1000 users annually
Cyberbullying via text: 59% of teens experienced
Nomophobia (phone separation anxiety): 66% prevalence
Eye strain from screens: 70% report daily symptoms
Emotional misreads in texts: 40% higher than calls
Hearing loss from loud calls: 1 in 5 young adults
Dopamine hits from texts mimic addiction in 50%
Poor posture from phubbing: 55% relationship dissatisfaction
Sleep texting: 1 in 10 teens do it nightly
Anxiety from delayed replies: 72% millennials
Reduced empathy from text-only: 25% lower scores
Thumb arthritis risk up 15% in heavy texters
Vocal strain from calls: 20% more in customer service
Social isolation paradox: more texts, less connection 30%

Health and Psychological Effects Interpretation

It seems our pocket-sized portals to human connection are also expertly engineered delivery systems for anxiety, physical decay, and the quiet erosion of the very social bonds they promise to sustain.

Preferences and Habits

70% prefer texting over calling for convenience
Gen Z avoids calls: 64% anxiety about them
82% millennials choose text for quick queries
Professionals: 56% prefer async messaging
90% customers prefer SMS for alerts over calls
Introverts text 3x more than extroverts
68% hate voicemail, delete without listening
Dating: 80% start with texts, calls later
Businesses: 85% conversion from texts vs 10% calls
62% feel obligated to answer calls immediately
Night owls prefer late-night texts 70%
Parents: 55% call for emergencies only
73% use GIFs/memes in texts daily
Remote teams: video over audio calls 40%
50% screen calls from unknown numbers
Flirting via text: 92% of young adults
65% mute notifications for calls but not texts
Job interviews: 30% prefer video calls now
78% abandon carts recover via SMS
Therapy: 45% prefer text-based over calls
Gaming chats: text over voice 60%
89% read receipts cause response pressure

Preferences and Habits Interpretation

The modern communication landscape reveals that while we are drowning in a sea of convenient texts and anxious about the ringing phone, we’ve engineered a society where the most profound connections, from flirting to therapy, often happen silently on a screen, leaving the humble voice call to feel like a startlingly intimate intrusion.

Safety and Risks

45% of texting while driving crashes involve 18-24 year olds
Texting increases crash risk by 23 times vs calling's 6 times
1 in 4 accidents in U.S. due to phone distraction
Hands-free calling still doubles reaction time delay
660,000 drivers use phones at any moment on roads
Teen drivers texting: 40% admit to it regularly
Phone use causes 25% of police-reported crashes
Nighttime texting risk 3x higher due to visibility
Commercial drivers: 8% distracted by calls constantly
Bluetooth reduces but doesn't eliminate cognitive distraction by 37%
Cyclists texting: 1.8x crash risk increase
Pedestrians texting: 4x more likely hit by cars
94% of drivers multitask with phones
Crash severity up 70% with texting involvement
School bus drivers: 10% phone use leads to near-misses
Alcohol + texting: 5x risk multiplier
Global road deaths from distraction: 1.35 million annually
Hands-free laws reduce crashes by 4% only
Elderly drivers calling: 2x distraction rate
Motorcycle riders texting: 11x crash risk
50 states ban texting, 19 ban all handheld use
Insurance claims up 30% with phone proof
81% parents text while driving with kids
Drowsy + phone: equivalent to 0.08 BAC

Safety and Risks Interpretation

We are, collectively and tragically, conducting a poorly managed, multi-generational experiment on our roads where a simple glance at a screen has become statistically more lethal than drunk driving, and the results show we are failing it spectacularly.

Usage and Frequency

In 2023, 85% of Americans sent or received at least one text message per day
Globally, the average person sends 23 texts per day as of 2022
U.S. mobile users exchanged over 2 trillion SMS messages in 2022
96% of smartphone owners use texting as their primary communication method
Daily voice calls averaged 4.5 per U.S. adult in 2023
Text messaging volume grew 15% year-over-year in 2022 globally
78% of Gen Z prefer texting over calling daily
Average texting session lasts 2-3 minutes compared to 5 minutes for calls
In 2023, RCS messaging overtook SMS with 10 billion messages daily
92% of U.S. teens text daily, averaging 100+ messages
Corporate users send 45 billion texts monthly for authentication
Voice call duration dropped 20% since 2019 due to texting rise
70% of adults check texts within 5 minutes of receipt
Global MMS traffic reached 1.5 billion daily in 2022
Emergency texts via 911 increased 300% post-2020
55% of workers text colleagues more than call
Daily WhatsApp voice calls: 1 billion minutes
U.S. landline calls fell to 10% of total communications in 2023
Text open rates average 98% vs 20% for email
40% of texts sent between 8 PM and 8 AM
VoIP calls surpassed traditional calls by 25% in 2022
Average millennial sends 75 texts daily
Group texts account for 30% of all SMS traffic
International calls via apps: 60 billion minutes monthly
Text response time averages 90 seconds
65% use voice-to-text for 20% of messages
Peak texting hours: 7-9 PM, 35% of daily volume
Call abandonment rate: 25% due to wait times
Emoji usage in texts: 92% of millennials
Video calls daily: 300 million on Zoom alone in 2023

Usage and Frequency Interpretation

We have collectively decided that the written word is king, turning our voices into a niche feature we mostly use for work, emergencies, or when our thumbs get tired.

Sources & References

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