Parents should not be surprised if cell phones top their teenagers' back-to-school shopping lists this year, advises IDC. A recent IDC and SMS.ac survey of nearly 8,000 U.S. teens, ages 13 to 18 who use mobile phones, suggests that many in this age group perceive a cell phone as a social necessity – 35.9% of teens acquired their phones mainly to use text messaging while an additional 13.3% acquired them to talk with friends.

IDC's study also indicates that cell phone usage drivers differ between teen boys and girls. Girls were more likely than boys to have purchased cell phones in order to call their family or to use in emergency situations, while boys preferred to call their friends. Boys were also more inclined than girls to use text messaging on their cell phones – girls, more than boys, preferred talking directly to their friends over text messaging them.

"Unlike any technology before it, cell phones have become important social catalysts for teenagers," said Dana Thorat, research manager at IDC. "While parents can be rest assured that they can reach their mobile teenagers virtually any place and any time, teens conversely perceive their phones as a means for gaining social acceptance and staying connected with friends."

For those teens that do not yet have their first cell phone, IDC expects many are now pestering their parents as they head back to school this fall. Looking ahead, an emerging wireless teen majority brings huge implications for new social behaviors among this generation. The implications for student populations could be just as tantamount. Current school policies that require the silencing of cell phone ringers during the school day may already be obsolete – dexterous thumbing on a phone's keypad under a desk is all it takes for seasoned texters to conduct covert conversations with others during class.