This is a Pew phone survey of 2015 mobile phone owners, contacted in July 2007.

Not surprisingly, the study reports that Gen Y sends the most text messages (43% text every day), but Boomers are catching up. Some 16% of younger Boomers  (45-54)and 10% of older Boomers (55-64) text daily. They’re not as irresponsible about texting while driving as younger people, though. About 47% of Gen Y-ers, 42% of Gen X-ers, and only 32% of  Boomers admit to texting while driving. By now, mobile ownership was spread “relatively equally across generations.” Gen Y (18-24) is highest at 85%,  Gen X (25-44) at 82%, younger Baby Boomers (45-54) at 80%, and older Baby Boomers (55-64) at 79%.

This survey hints at the difference between  acquisition of technology and true adoption of it. About 80% of boomers have acquired cell phone by now, but only about 12% (averaging older and younger Boomers) text daily.

This AT&T-sponsored PDF/brochure helps parents get “in the know” about texting.
The author, Dr Ruth Peters, is a clinical psychologist and frequent Redbook contributor.

The guide contains a helpful but brief guide to text language, and a cheery list of reasons why parents might wish to text their teens and tweeners. To a researcher studying intergeneration relationships, however, it is an interesting example of the near-apologetic attitude of the self-consciously uncool Boomer struggling to, quote, “look hipper.” One example:” Text messaging drops off by more than half in the “parental” age range of 30 – 49 and even more in the next age category, to which many parents belong.”  Dr. Peters is afraid to say “older,” preferring the euphemism “next category.”

Thesis: Because first amendment protections and laws protecting Internet Service Providers impede a great deal of government regulation, the best way to ensure minors are protected from improper content online is to empower individuals, companies and organizations to take the intiative to self-regulate.