The stereotypes of the teenager
whose thumbs are surgically attached to his or her mobile device and the older parent who sees the same as a phone without wires are, like most stereotypes, not entirely inaccurate -- but also not
very reliable either.
According to new research by mobile messaging company Tekelec, 60% of those over 45 were found to be just as likely to use SMS as they were to make voice calls from
their mobile device. The survey of 500 people in North America and Europe also found that text messaging is gaining on email as the preferred means of daily international communication, with 32% of
responses across all ages preferring SMS, compared to 33% for email. And nearly a third of respondents said their use of SMS would increase in 2010.
In addition, more than 80 percent of
respondents across all age groups thought they would get a quicker response from a text than from an email or voice message. Women preferred to let their fingers do the talking, with 40% describing
themselves as 'mainly texter,' compared to 30% of men.
One more difference between the sexes: women were more likely to engage in TV voting via text, with 25% versus just 14% of men engaging in
such behavior.
But those under 35 were the most likely age group to vote via text, with 16% of them saying they do so, followed by 9% of 35- to-44-year-olds, and 7% of those 45 and older.
However, 35- to-44-year-olds are the largest consumers of news and sports by text, at 18% compared to 17% for those under 35, and only 8% for those over 45.