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Survey reveals surprising trends
in U.K.'s 'text culture'
- 56% plan to use text to wish friends a Merry Christmas
- 7% admit to texting in sick to work
- 44% would like to see a guide to text etiquette
- 77% are opposed to adding text shorthand to the Old English Dictionary
Tegic Communications, a subsidiary of America Online, has just revealed
the results of a nationwide survey into texting trends among U.K. mobile
phone users. Among the findings, the survey revealed that texting has
become the standard method of communication for informal messages, with
56 percent of respondents saying that they plan to use text to wish friends
a 'Merry Christmas' and 70 percent saying that they have used text to
say 'Happy Birthday' to a friend or relative.
However, the results of the survey suggest that the guidelines are not
yet set on correct text etiquette. While more than half (56 percent) of
18-29 year olds admitted using text to flirt, only 19 percent said they
would text a partner to say 'I love you' for the first time. Fewer still,
only 10 percent, would use text to finish a relationship. Despite this,
1 percent of respondents admitted they would use SMS to propose marriage.
In the workplace, text messaging is also becoming increasingly popular,
with 20 percent of respondents regularly texting to tell their boss they
would be late, and 7 percent 'texting in sick' (this number rose to 16
percent amongst 18-29 year olds). However, none of those questioned had
yet resigned from a job by text.
Men are more likely to use text messages at work, sending an average
of over three work texts per week compared to just over two for women.
This despite the fact that, overall, women send on average four texts
per week more than their male counterparts, 19 to the men's nearly 15.
Further differences between the sexes were found in people's reasons to
text, with 46 percent of women admitting to gossiping via SMS compared
to 34 percent of men.
The notion that text etiquette is a grey area for many is supported by
the fact that 44 percent of all users would encourage giving people a
guide to 'text etiquette.' This figure rose to 58 percent amongst the
over 50's, even though 41 percent of that age group agreed that they regularly
communicated with family and friends via text.
While Britons send, on average, nearly 17 text messages per week, only
13 percent claim to use text shorthand (which sees words shortened to
speed up typing using non-predictive text) all of the time. This number
rises to 23 percent amongst 18-29 year olds. Even in this group, 40 percent
have 'tried the odd word, but don't usually use it.'
Interestingly, 77 percent of those surveyed said they would be against
including the most common 'text vocabulary' in the Oxford English Dictionary.
Indeed, 54 percent of respondents claimed that the shorthand messages
they had received were 'difficult to understand,' with 41 percent perceiving
such messages as 'sloppily written.'
One way to avoid the sloppiness of shorthand while maintaining the speed
advantage it offers is to use predictive text, such as T9 Text Input software.
In fact, 67 percent of respondents found predictive text much quicker
than tapping out letters individually and, perhaps surprisingly, 48 percent
of over 50's claimed that predictive text is very simple to use. Among
18-29 year olds, 41 percent said that they could not do without predictive
text.
'This survey shows just how much texting has become acceptable in a whole
range of social and professional situations,' said Craig Peddie, vice
president and general manager, Tegic Communications. 'It's clear that
Britons want to text more quickly, but that they don't necessarily want
to change the words they use. This is where predictive text input comes
in. It lets users type full words in less time than it would take them
to type shorthand. And, if users do want shorthand, then T9 lets them
do that as well. The results of the survey show just how popular predictive
text input has become with texters right across the age divide.'
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