Nearly half of the teens and tweens, 10-18 year olds, in the United States have a cell phone representing over $10 billion of the market according to a study released by the market research firm GfK NOP Technology.

Numerous cellular companies are offering cell phones and plans for the younger market. Nearly all of the major carriers including T-Mobile, Cingular and Verizon offer text and pic messaging packages and downloadable games and ringtones, which are very popular with the young crowd.

Recently new phones hit the scene, marketed to an even younger crowd. Firefly Mobile introduced its kid friendly pre-paid cellular phone with one touch mommy and daddy buttons earlier this year. Other companies such as Disney are expected to release cell phones marketed to kids and tweens as well.

The teen and tween market is a critical one for wireless providers to capture, with 70% of its value coming from kids who spend more than $50 per month on their phone service, says Ben Rogers, Vice President, GfK NOP Technology. Clearly, the days when parents admonished their kids to use cell phones only for emergencies are over. Now, cell phones are a staple of teen and tween life, not only for calling friends and family but also for a range of other activities.

More and more cool options are becoming available to the young crowd. Cingular just released its ROKR phone. The phone allows users to download iTunes and has regular phone functions. Websites such as www.teencells.com features cheap cell phone plans, ringtones, and more all geared to the young market.