TYLER (KYTX) -- It's estimated that Americans send 2.5 billion text messages every day, which is 8 texts for every person in the country.
Common sense is enough to tell you that some people don't send any texts, so others have to be sending a lot more than 8. Facebook's own numbers say people have left a comment or clicked the like button more than 6 billion times since January.
For some, it's an obsession. Something has to give, and it's called Social Overload.
How often do you leave your phone on the bed-side table, only to have a text, tweet, like, email or, for the old school, a phone call wake you up in the middle of the night?
"My phone is on loud," Kayle Kienitz said. "If it does vibrate, I will wake up for it."
Kienitz is like a lot of us. She keeps in touch with family and friends, mostly via texts and Facebook.
"I'll be so tired that I still am texting to that last time that I can't any more," she said.
Kienitz says her phone usually wakes her up twice a night--and more often than not she responds.
"Sleep is very important," Dr. R.V. Ghuge said.
Ghuge is with the Trinity Mother Frances Sleep Center. He places so much importance on sleep that he takes his own children's phones away at night, because all the things going on while you sleep work better if you stay asleep.
"Just like any other assembly plant, if your work is hampered, say your electricity goes out every thirty seconds, you can't get any work done," Ghuge said.
"It's like I can't say no," Kienitz said. "Even as much as I want to say no, I can't."
Kienitz has no complaints, and says she doesn't get tired during the day. But what about the rest of the family?
"My daughter sits there and complains and my husband complains that I am on my phone too much," Kienitz said.
"There's a loss of closeness in relationships because you can't develop that if you're constantly just texting," Toni Dowdy said.
Dowdy is a licensed clinical social worker at East Texas Medical Center Behavioral Health.
"It's a benefit to be able to get out of it if you will take the time," she said.
Dowdy recommends making two lists if you're really serious about getting rid of social overload. On one, write down the connections in your life that are absolutely necessary. She says those are the ones that always get a response.
Then you make another list of people who could wait a day or two, for when you have time that truly doesn't need to be spent on something else.
"You have to prioritize, finally and decide 'Who do I answer today?" Dowdy said. "Do I have time to answer this person?'"
"I'd rather just get it through a text message versus actually getting on to the phone and calling," Kienitz said.
For Kienitz, breaking long conversations up just seems more manageable. she also reminded us of all the upsides of social media.
"I have a daughter, so keeping her pictures up there so everyone else can see what's going on, it's easier for them to see her growing and everything," she said.
