We are now facing a time when nearly all teens (96 percent) are using the internet every day, and the amount of young people who are online almost constantly has nearly doubled from 2015 until today, according to the PEW Research Center. Texting is very much part of their daily online life.

Instant messaging and unlimited texting on cell phones have led to a texting craze among today’s youth. Teens and kids alike will commonly communicate by texting instead of speaking, even when sitting next to each other on the couch or at a table.

This texting phenomenon is something that is becoming an increasingly large concern to some parents. Instead of worrying about cigarettes, alcohol or drug addiction, they fear their children are becoming addicted to texting.

How do you know if your teen’s texting is getting out of hand?

Here are 10 signs that your teen may be addicted to texting:

1. Calluses on thumbs – Check your child’s thumbs for calluses. This is a clear sign that texting is getting out of hand. Your teen may also start complaining about pain or cramps in the thumbs. This can be caused by severe overuse of the common digits used for texting, and warning bells should be ringing.
2. Runs into things – Is your teen constantly running into things? Kids who are addicted to texting pay more attention to their screens than where they’re going, and take little notice of any obstacles that may be in their way.
3. Text neck syndrome – Does your child have a permanently bowed head because of a neck deformity? By looking down at a phone for extended periods of time, growing children can end up with a deformed neck. Text neck syndrome has become real, according to one study about 73 percent of students struggle with text neck syndrome.
4. Speaks in acronyms – When your teen actually talks to you instead of texting, do they speak in acronyms? Are they commonly saying things like OMG and LOL? If you find yourself beginning to wonder if they’ve learned a new language, you’re right. The inability to speak in complete sentences using real words is a clear sign of texting addiction.
5. Attached to phone – Has your child’s phone become a part of their anatomy? Are they continually within arm’s reach of their device at all times? Are they constantly checking it for new messages? This is another sign you should be concerned.
6. Unaware of surroundings – Is your teen completely oblivious to their surroundings? Are they unaware of spectacular sunsets or a deer in the back yard? Children who are addicted to texting become so focused on their phones they ignore everything else.
7. Takes phone to bed – Is your teen taking his phone to bed? Some kids will spend all night texting with their friends while their parents are completely unaware. This can lead to serious sleep deprivation and teachers will find them nodding off at school. Technology agreements should be in place, lights out — screens out.
8. Panics attacks – If your son or daughter loses their phone, do they go into a panic attack? Teens who are addicted to texting become completely unhinged when separated from their phones. This is a serious sign of addiction that needs to be addressed.
9. Unable to function otherwise – If you take the phone away from your child, is he completely unable to function without it? Kids with serious texting addictions can have trouble functioning without the constant connection to others texting gives them.
10. Combative behavior – Does your teen become combative when you confront him with his texting problem? If you have attempted to remove his/her device to they go into a rage or possibly become destructive? This behavior is another sign of addiction. If this happens, you may need to schedule an intervention.

Can this texting epidemic be stopped, or is it too late? Is our youth condemned to deformed necks and callused thumbs, spending their lives completely oblivious to their surroundings?

Although this article is about awareness, there are many parents that have serious concerns about their child’s texting addiction. Kids today would rather text than talk — leaving a sour note for a grandparent that is yearning to hear their voice.

It’s important to remember you are the parent and you pay the phone bill — you have the ability to take action through talking with your teen about their behavior, giving limits through a technology contract, and reminding them about digital etiquette.

Teens these days may need a reminder that there is a world beyond their cell phone.