Posted on Apr 26, 2011 in Blog
Published in the Daily Mail
Mobile text messaging could become extinct within a generation as millions of young people turn to other forms of electronic communication. [mobileYouth comments: we did not say "extinct" but as they say "don't let the facts get in the way of a good story"]
Teenagers are increasingly using instant messaging from mobile phones and social networking sites such as Facebook. Experts predict the amount of texts sent in the UK will drop by 20 per cent in the next two years.
It comes as teenagers and students are increasingly using BlackBerrys instead of iPhones and other smartphones because the device has a free BBM messenger.
Sales in the phone, that was once the preserve of the corporate boardroom, have increased six-fold during the last year, mainly due to being taken up by 16 to 24-year-olds.
A study for broadband provider TalkTalk found only 51 per cent of Britons in their teens or early twenties say email is their first choice of communication.
Industry experts believe that if this trend is followed into adulthood then text messaging could disappear within a generation.
Instant messaging is extremely similar to texting, but faster and cheaper. It is free on BlackBerry phones even for ‘pay and go’ customers and is used by 39million people across the world.
Communication consultants Mobile Youth said the main drop in texts is down to the rise in instant messaging.
Graham Brown, the firm’s managing director, said: ‘We’ve seen SMS usage fall among young people and the main driver in BlackBerry.
‘Teens and students were picking up BlackBerrys as hand-me-downs because parents were upgrading and started playing and exploring.’
