Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project released survey results on phone call or text messaging preferences, finding that the average number of texts or calls made by US adult cell phone users has remained the same since their 2010 survey results.
“Text messaging users send or receive an average of 41.5 messages on a typical day, with the median user sending or receiving 10 texts daily – both figures are largely unchanged from what we reported in 2010. Similarly, cell owners make or receive an average of 12 calls on their cells per day, which is unchanged from 2010,” stated Pew Research in their current 2011 survey analysis.
The results were found by Pew when they surveyed the 83% of American adults who currently own a cell phone (also consistent from the 2010 survey) who also analyzed that about three-quarters of said group engage in sending and receiving texts. Pew continued further by asking whether or not these adults prefer contact via traditional voice calls (53%) or text messaging (31%).
Young adults are still the most inclined to text messaging; those aged 18-24 sending and receiving a average of 110 messages a day. Though the number of texts and calls sent by adults starts to stagnate, one may want to consider the ramifications the growing teen cell phone user-base may have on mobile communication. Last year, Nielsen analysts found that teens in the US are another group adept with text messaging. When said teens move into the 18-24 year old demographic, we may see completely different results as technology or usage patterns may change.
Unfortunately this is also coupled with the fact that teens and young adults are most at risk for driving while texting, all the more reason to purchase a Bluetooth headset.
Coupled with all-encompassing communications released by the likes of Facebook and Skype, these findings are an indication as to adult cell phone users being comfortable with their current means of communications. There is still a significant amount of people who do not own smartphones or even purchase data plans (looking for no-hassle unlocked cell phones?) for more involved methods of communication like video conferencing, VOIP, or messaging through social networking apps.
Old technology or not, text messaging is here to stay as it still provides one of the quickest means to communicate.
Posted by David Yi, Social Media and SEO Assistant at Wireless Emporium
