Are you a typical teenager? There is one simple question that will provide the answer: How many text messages have you sent in the past month?

You’d better set aside some time before trying to answer that question. According to Nielsen, the media and marketing information company, the typical American between the ages of 13 and 17 sends 2,900 text messages a month.

There are physicians and psychiatrists worried about that statistic. They say it affects teen sleep patterns and reduces your ability to think for yourself.

Not everyone agrees, however. An increasing number of teachers say that, like any new technology, texting should be integrated into the classroom rather than expelled.

In some schools, teachers stretch their students’ language skills by having them translate classic literature into text-speak, teaching language comprehension and context. It’s a new way of teaching that embraces what teens are already doing, and it’s proving successful.

A researcher at California State University recently surveyed more than 700 teens. He asked some to write a conversational essay answering the question, “What does it mean to be happy?”

Those who texted frequently better understood the question and provided deeper answers.

Some parents even encourage texting, especially if their children are visual learners. With those teens, seeing grammatically correct texts from Mom or Dad provides a constant visual example of proper language.

If texting results in improved classroom performance, why are so many people opposed to it?

At the most basic level, it’s because texting is something many didn’t have when they were in school. The same was true 20 years ago when parents watched their children spend hours playing video games and complained that the time was wasted.

Today we know those teenagers gained improved critical thinking skills. The hours they spent guiding Mario to the final castle to save the princess were a tangible exercise in advanced problem-solving skills.

Research presented at the 2008 convention of the American Psychological Association supports the theory that video games increase brain potential. That research included a study of 33 laparoscopic surgeons. The results were surprising. Those who played video games not only completed their procedures 27 percent faster, they also made 37 percent fewer mistakes.

The researcher even went so far as to say that a surgeon’s frequency of video game playing was a better indicator of his or her suturing ability than the number of surgeries they performed or their years of medical training.

Walter Boot at the University of Illinois agrees. He had nongamers play a video game for 20 hours and measured their performance at basic tasks. He found no improvement, indicating the brain boost comes from long-term exposure.

Despite this, he does suspect video games make an impact in the lives of successful people. “Perhaps individuals with superior abilities are more likely to choose video gaming as an activity in the first place,” he said.

So, what does this mean for you?

First, if you like playing video games or texting your friends, keep doing it — in moderation.

If you don’t like doing those things, don’t start just because some scientist says it might make you smarter.

Most importantly, follow the rules. Don’t text in class, while driving or where it is inappropriate.

Text your friends and ask them about your homework, have conversations with those with whom you’d otherwise be out of touch. And if you ever need advanced medical treatment, text your surgeon and ask how much time she spends playing video games.

Erick Rommel is a syndicated columnist for Catholic News Service.