Texting on the rise

[kyrathaba]

[attach]

[Renegade]

I find that very hard to believe.

That boils down to:

3,339 / month
111 / day

Given 16 waking hours per day, let's figure "untextable" hours:
Shower: 20 minutes
Classroom time: 5 hours
Hmmm... Drawing a bit of a blank here... Help me out.

So, 5.33 hours of "downtime"...

10.67 hours of "uptime", so...

10.4 / hour on school days
1 / 5.8 minutes

Or on non-school days:

6.9 / hour
1 / 8.65 minutes

That seems very far from believable to me.

AVERAGE. The AVERAGE teenager? What does that say about those that text a lot, and high statistical outliers?

There's got to be something wrong there.

[Eóin]

Two things renegade,

1) If you go to the source of the stats, its send and receiving. Given that most people reply (you won't get texts if you don't send them) I say the number sent is half that. Although, girls actually averaged 4000+, so that's still about 2000 sent a month!

2) Alot of text would be going on during school, even during class. So the uptime is probably 2 or 3 hours higher.

Still the numbers shock me to the extent that I too find them hard to believe. And as you say it's an average, I really wonder what rates the more extreme texters are achieving.

[Renegade]

It would be nice to know the Z score to figure out what the freaks at 7 standard deviations away from the mean are doing. 20k?

[KynloStephen66515]

Erm, 3000/month is more than possible

My current mobile plan offers me 3000 SMS per month...i usually breach this limit

Most people I know also go way over the 3000 inclusive SMS (Sending only, no limit for receiving)

Includint the fact that people also SMS to Twitter/Facebook and such, these numbers are entirely possible, as every 5 minutes i see a "Facebook for Samsung" or "Facebook for iPhone" on my FB Status updates alongside the normal "Sent via Text Message" ones.  In fact, I would say only 10% of the status updates i receive are from the website itself.

When you include the fact people also receive SMS's when a new status or inbox message on Facebook arrives (unsure about twitter or other services as i don't use them), you can be looking at around 300-400 inbound from facebook ALONE per day, and even replying something as simple as "lol" would count as a sent SMS.  So say you receive 400 per day from facebook, and 50 from friends, you reply to all your friends messages (send 50) and 1/2 the facebook ones (200), thats 250 per day, multiply this by 1 month, and you have sent 7000 messages and received 12600 messages, making a grand total of 19600 per month.  Entierly possible for people with a Facebook Friends count of around 800 people (Most teenagers...as they add random people, and people they have never met).

I am only using these figures as an example, as they would obviously go up during peek hours and days (Weekdays, Friday Nights and Saturday nights), whereas Sunday is mostly slow, but still has lots including "Urgh, so hungover, anyone else feel like hell?"...to which, you would reply...causing a spike in numbers even on slow days.

*edit*

Forgot to mention tha quite a lot of people are now using blackberry chat, and also MSN Mobile, which, although its not technically 'Texting' in its literal sence, it is still using your mobile, for written communication.  So each sent and received message would also count (Concidering the average conversation is approx 200 lines of text (100 per user in a 2 person conversation) - If your in multiple conversations, multiply this by however many they are in (Teenagers would likely be in multiple chats with classmates and friends) - So yeah...3000...highly possible, if not a much lower figure than the study calculated.


Could you class MSN/IRC conversations on the computer as 'Texting' as you are still technically sending and receiving written messages...in which case...im possibly on about 8000 sent messages today and 12000 received....already 17000 more (I reside in around 8 different IRC chat rooms, and my MSN is my primary source of communication with clients and friends to lower the cost of phone bills) than the average 'monthly' texting figures

[Renegade]

<cynicism mode="on" />

When I think of texting, I think of using the stupidest input device for human language ever devised, and even stupider in light of the telegraph, which was invented in the common sense in 1837 (Samuel Morse's version). From 1 button to 10 (11, 1 to send) buttons in well over 150 years is pretty pathetic. They had an excuse in 1837. There's no excuse now.

So, I would discount MSN/IRC/Skype and all the rest where you have a real keyboard. And no, I would not count anything that requires you to limit the use of your digits to 1 per hand as a "keyboard".

And no... I will not be satisfied with SMS as something that I could actually use until it enters the realm of sane usability. (I'm actually working on seeing if I can get that done. I'm looking at trying some speech recognition stuff on mobile devices. STT or SR.)


Though I must admit that I am shocked at hearing that you go over the 3,000 limit. I just can't imagine having the patience to do it.

I guess it all just boils down to most people having a LOT more patience than I do.

But like WTF do people text that much about? Seriously. I just don't have that much to say I suppose.

[KynloStephen66515]

But like WTF do people text that much about? Seriously. I just don't have that much to say I suppose.

Honestly, its mainly me and my mrs texting when we are out and about and also replying to facebook messages and status updates.  Also i use SMS as a fast means of contacting people to remind them about things, also to order food, locate information, ask people questions and just generally talk about nothing.  Its those 1 word messages that rack up the bills: 'ok' 'np' 'when' 'where' 'why' etc...

[f0dder]

When I think of texting, I think of using the stupidest input device for human language ever devised, and even stupider in light of the telegraph, which was invented in the common sense in 1837 (Samuel Morse's version). From 1 button to 10 (11, 1 to send) buttons in well over 150 years is pretty pathetic. They had an excuse in 1837. There's no excuse now.

I personally find that a mobile keypad coupled with T9 predicting dictionary works pretty darn well for typing - definitely faster than one of the crammed "mobile keyboards" (which are all but unsuable, and result in oversized phones), stylus pens, or touch devices. No, they're not suitable for writing novels or PhD's, but it's a comfortable input device for me - and that's without resorting to the gross "sms language" that kiddos are using.

I'm well below insane text levels, though.

[Eóin]

I treated myself to a HTC HD2 about a year ago and I've been using the Swype keyboard on it. It's a really cool way to type on a touchscreen.

[f0dder]

Swype does look nice, but I'd have a hard time without the tactile feedback of physical buttons (there's work in progress, which might be very interesting if it works out!) - especially since I'm often texting without looking at the phone.

[4wd]

Wow

My current mobile plan offers me 3000 SMS per month...i usually breach this limit

3000?  per month?

Bl**dy 'ell!

If I had 3000 free SMS messages it would take me approximately 250 years to use them all - I'm not kidding, more than 1/month is a veritable indulgence.

My mobile is for mainly two things:
1) to receive calls;
2) it's got an alarm clock.

[Stoic Joker]

I can't help but think that constantly holding each-other at arms length with an electronic bushing will damage our society. If I have a need for human interaction, I'll walk up to one and interact with them. Zipping x word blurbs back and forth constantly is just absurd. It makes everyone faceless and surreal.

I have a cell phone, to make calls with - Texting is disabled - that is all. I prefer to deal with people face-to-face so I can observe and gauge their facial expressions and body language.

[Renegade]

Wow

My current mobile plan offers me 3000 SMS per month...i usually breach this limit

3000?  per month?

Bl**dy 'ell!

If I had 3000 free SMS messages it would take me approximately 250 years to use them all - I'm not kidding, more than 1/month is a veritable indulgence.

My mobile is for mainly two things:
1) to receive calls;
2) it's got an alarm clock.

I *could* use 3,000 SMS pretty fast actually. Think, viagra... Hahahah~! I'd like to see an unlimited SMS plan. Just use it and spam 24/7~! Hahahah~! That would be FUN~!

[Eóin]

Stoic Joker, I agree that text messages lose so much emotion. That said, I think most people don't replace face-to-face communication with texts, rather they augment it.

[Renegade]

Wow! That Swype looks really cool! I could totally use that. I used to use handwriting recognition on my Palm III a long time ago, and it was good. Fast is good. Slow is no.

[f0dder]

I can't help but think that constantly holding each-other at arms length with an electronic bushing will damage our society. If I have a need for human interaction, I'll walk up to one and interact with them. Zipping x word blurbs back and forth constantly is just absurd. It makes everyone faceless and surreal.

Depends on how you use it, really.

I use texting to coordinate stuff - visiting family or friends, people visiting me, organizing parties, checking with my better half if we need groceries, and small bits of keeping in touch - not as a substitute for other means of communication, but an addition.

[Renegade]

One of my problems with texting is the single ring. The phone beeps once, then that's it. If you're in a subway, or on a busy street, you're not going to hear it. Unless you are already an addict, you're unlikely to see the SMS for some time.

To me, that does not count as communication in the immediate sense. SMSing to drop by the store on the way home is kind of pointless if you have music on and can't hear it.

It just seems like a very poor form of communication to me. Email is better, although less reliable for guaranteed delivery. If you can check email on your phone (or the person you're sending a message to), there's not much difference with respect to urgency/notification.

I think the core problem is confirming receipt and confirming the 'read'. If you phone someone and talk to them, then you KNOW they got the message. If you SMS or email, you can't confirm receipt.

[4wd]

If you phone someone and talk to them, then you KNOW they got the message.

You're more likely to go to voicemail and still not know whether they got the message

[KynloStephen66515]

If you phone someone and talk to them, then you KNOW they got the message.

You're more likely to go to voicemail and still not know whether they got the message

I know with myself, I am usually unavailable to answer calls due to things like being in meetings, missing the call or driving, so SMS is my only real means of communication as they just sit on my phone waiting for me to read them.

Also, there is a way to know they have received and read your SMS.

Delivery Reports and Read Reports have been available in the settings menu in the SMS section of most phones for quite some years

[Renegade]

Also, there is a way to know they have received and read your SMS.

Delivery Reports and Read Reports have been available in the settings menu in the SMS section of most phones for quite some years

Odd. I've never seen that. Are you sure? The privacy implications are just, well, I'll leave it at that.

[KynloStephen66515]

I am 100% positive, I receive read and received reports for all the SMS that I send.

Some phones do not respond to the "Read Report" request, but all of them send back the received report. (Helpful for knowing if the end-user has thier phone on, and how long the message took to reach its destination)

[Renegade]

I am 100% positive, I receive read and received reports for all the SMS that I send.

Some phones do not respond to the "Read Report" request, but all of them send back the received report. (Helpful for knowing if the end-user has thier phone on, and how long the message took to reach its destination)

That makes sense.

The length to reach the recipient is also something I've noticed. I've had SMS messages (to and from) delayed by minutes, hours, and more.

But is the "Received Report" based on the carrier receiving it (server) or the person's phone receiving it (client)? For email, it's the server.

[KynloStephen66515]

It is sent directly from the recipitants phone (client), and I am unsure whether phone companies outside the UK support these options.

[erikts]

Erm, 3000/month is more than possible

My current mobile plan offers me 3000 SMS per month...i usually breach this limit

I pay 7 cent per day (opt-in) to get SMS package that allows a maximum of 100000 SMS sent per day. Receiving SMS is free. Very cheap. 

[Renegade]

Erm, 3000/month is more than possible

My current mobile plan offers me 3000 SMS per month...i usually breach this limit

I pay 7 cent per day (opt-in) to get SMS package that allows a maximum of 100000 SMS sent per day. Receiving SMS is free. Very cheap. 

WOW~! That's like a spammers dream!