13-Year-Old Reina Hardesty Sends 14,528 Text Mesages In a Month

by Jon Azpiri | January 12, 2009 at 01:44 pm

6624 views | 12 Recommendations | 34 comments

The father of a California teenager recently found out that his 13-year-old daughter sent more than 14,000 text messages in a month. The father of Reina Harvesty was shocked when he received a 440-page phone bill stating that the girl has sent a total of 14,528 texts in a month. That's a total of one text message every two waking minutes.

"First, I laughed. I thought, 'That's insane, that's impossible',"the 45-year-old told The New York Post.

"And I immediately whipped out the calculator to see if it was humanly possible.

Then I thought maybe AT&T made some mistake on the bill,"

However, there was no mistake and the online AT&T statement ran to 440 pages.

So who was Reina Hardesty texting?

Hardesty said Reina had messaged a core of "four obsessive texters," all girls between the ages of 12 and 13. Lucky for him, he was on an unlimited text messaging plan or his bill would have been $2,905 at a rate of 20 cents per message, the Post reported.

Although it didn't cost him anything, Mr. Hardesty has clamped down on his daughter's text message habits. He says that she is no longer allowed to send texts after dinner time.

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Geneva B

at 13:46 on January 12th, 2009

Time to start monitoring the pre-teen's use of technology! That is insane. Wouldn't you notice your kid chained to the cellphone? Someone wasn't being very well supervised...

elmo J (not verified)

at 19:45 on January 13th, 2009

I know THis Reina Hardesty She's in My 3rd Periiod Science and She did say she had like a 1000$ thing for texting or something and she got her phone taken away.!!!

Super Cool (not verified)

at 16:00 on January 14th, 2009

She hot. You one lucky dude.

Call (not verified)

at 09:05 on January 16th, 2009

how would you know

Jcgamer (not verified)

at 12:03 on January 18th, 2009

Hey who is this, i go to Los Alisos also, i just got the news , and decided to look it up...

Tina Kells

at 14:19 on January 12th, 2009

Wow! I thought my daughter was bad at 200 last month. Guess I'll count my blessings...

Jacki Bellam (not verified)

at 00:49 on January 17th, 2009

200 hundred isn't bad at all. Thats only about 8 texts a day. I average about 5,000 texts per month, but thats ALOT of sending one text to 40-50 people to let them know about upcoming youth events for my church. As a highschooler (I'm 18) on staff for a jr high group, the most affective way to getting in contact with people is by text. I do that 4 or 5 times a week, so that averages out to 2,000 texts per month (that are just me sending one text, 4 times a week. not obsessive at all, but adds up to 2,000). Add in replying when people have questions....all that to say, everyone 16 year old who has a big bill isn't obsessively texting ;-)

harringtola

at 15:04 on January 12th, 2009

I can definitely see that someone absolutely requires the unlimited text plan from AT&T. Good news for him that he already had it. I hope the child does not get some malady similar to carpel tunnel in the future.

Clou (not verified)

at 15:09 on January 12th, 2009

At first I could not believe that anyone could send that many texts but when I started to think about it it is possible but surely you'd have to have some kind of addiction to send that many in one month. A very modern story.

mitten melee

at 15:53 on January 12th, 2009

wow. i'm pretty sure i've sent more than that.

The Fleece

at 16:10 on January 12th, 2009

This was a txt message I got from a friend who had a funny dream about us. I don't know why I'm dressed as a sailor- I can't swim. I took the photo to remember when the last time someone dreamt about me.

The Fleece has contributed a photo to this story.

amanky

at 16:14 on January 12th, 2009

you've got to remember that this is a new way of communicating.. and who's to say that some msgs weren't short & sweet... "yes" or "no" or "ok"s?

back in my day I certainly was on the phone from the moment I hit the door after school.. until my head hit the pillow, or even later!

call waiting was a necessity in our home!

saxena

at 00:04 on January 13th, 2009

If she spent that time on text messages her grades should be really good to then !

Jcgamer (not verified)

at 11:45 on January 18th, 2009

Ok well she is in algebra in 7th grade...

annonmys (not verified)

at 19:52 on April 10th, 2009

there not good grades, there terrible

Larry31 (not verified)

at 06:48 on January 13th, 2009

Just think, this girl was/is 13 years old and sending over 14000 text messages a month. If that doesn't get a parents attention on whats going on with their children, what's going to happen when she gets old enough to drive. ALREADY laws are being passed to ban talking on cell phones when operating a vehicle, but I haven't seen any news on laws prohibiting texting while driving. Some of the research I have conducted reveals that you are more impaired/distracted while texting someone than you would be if you were drunk.

SDDirt (not verified)

at 14:39 on January 13th, 2009

In California, it is already illigal to text while driving

vadik (not verified)

at 16:26 on January 13th, 2009

I think its unconstitutional to make laws banning talking or texting while driving. Laws like this take away individual freedom and compromise our free will.

ANONYMOUS and Unknown (not verified)

at 12:02 on January 15th, 2009

Free will? People are killed and mamed everyday because people use cell phones in various ways while driving. Texting, chirping, or talking, they all are DISTRACTING. You're not allowed to get drunk and drive, so, being sober, if a phone is going to increase your risk of hurting someone, put it down, and deal later. Geez, you'd think that our Grandparents must have never wanted to get a message to someone quickly, how could they possibly have gotten by?

Geneva B

at 16:29 on January 13th, 2009

Individual freedom and free will, when left to run rampant, will do so. The current state of the world is a good example of this.

looooooool................... (not verified)

at 21:54 on January 13th, 2009

ASS!!!!laughing @ the stupid dad.....

biscuit (not verified)

at 12:35 on January 17th, 2009

SOYDS......laughing at the stupid dad.... how so....must be one yourself...would hate to know what your kids have been doing. hopefully just texting instead of drugs dumb ass

Surrealistic Reality

at 13:39 on January 14th, 2009

I received a message on my Flickr account (www.flickr.com/artisvital) from NowPublic telling me that my photo was great and asking if it could be used in the article about the 13 year old who sent nearly 15,000 text messages in one month. I'm new at photography and plan to make a living with it some day. So this offer definitely made me smile. =D

Surrealistic Reality has contributed a photo to this story.

Geneva B

at 11:31 on January 15th, 2009

Awesome, that makes us hap-hap-happy :)

Jon Azpiri

at 11:03 on January 15th, 2009

Not to be outdone, a Florida teenager has sent 35,000 texts a month twice in the last year.

biscuit (not verified)

at 12:37 on January 17th, 2009

looooooool.....pull your panties out of your crack.. hate to know what your darlings are up to...

glngag (not verified)

at 03:40 on January 18th, 2009

wow! she broke my son's record of 11,400 txt messages.

harringtola

at 13:04 on January 18th, 2009

I am thinking there will be some as of yet undefined "condition" that eventually comes to light as a result of of the repetitive motion of the thumbs that will require much money to diagnose, analyze and eventually find a treatment for to cure.