Widespread availability of cheap unlimited text message plans has made the service preferred mode of communication for youngsters in India and its excessive use is leading to health problems among them, says a study conducted by industry body Assocham.

The study has found that text messaging has become preferred mode of communication for majority of youngsters in India. It has has surpassed rest of the forms of daily interaction amongst youngsters like face-to-face conversations, voice calling, etc.

Apparently, 60 per cent of youngsters in India send and receive over 125 text messages daily to interact with their peer group, the study says.

"Excessive texting is leading to a number of problems for our kids as they are developing problems like insomnia, depression, lack of eating, isolation etc," DS Rawat, Secretary General, Assocham, said in a statement.

"Besides, according to reports of chamber's analysis prolonged engagement with such an activity can lead to diseases like brain tumour, infertility," Rawat added.

Almost 90 per cent of those interviewed in Delhi-NCR admitted that they sleep with their cell phone lying next to them and thus, keep slightly awake most of the time during their sleep.

According to chamber's analysis, texting at the time of sleep is causing diseases like insomnia, anxiety among youngsters as they exchange text messages every night.

Majority of respondents admitted that they are often awakened by a phone call or a text message after going to bed and the lack of sleep has been affecting their work and progress.

Around 80 per cent of youngsters in the city said they check their phones every few seconds to see if they have received any message and due to constant fast typing on cell phone's keypad at times they feel severe pain in area between thumb and wrist which throbs constantly.

This was carried out by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India during January-April 2011 in cities of Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Patna, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Jaipur.

Assocham representatives interacted with as many as 2,000 youngsters. The sample included almost an equal number of males and females in the age group of 12-20 years, it said.

Youngsters in Delhi-NCR emerged on top with almost 70 per cent of them saying that they send between 100-125 text messages daily and over 3,000 texts each month.

The study found 55 per cent of girls in Delhi NCR send and receive around 100 to 125 SMS per day.

Around 60 per cent of youngsters in Delhi-NCR in study admitted that they text while driving, considering it as multi-tasking. Assocham in its analysis.