Text, context, subtext—text messaging here to stay

OMGYG2BK. As any teen parent knows, kids today don’t use cell phones to actually talk to each other: They text. Now it turns out teens aren’t the only ones texting their way into history. New survey results released by the Pew Internet & America Life Project show that 58% of adult Americans are using cell phones and other mobile devices for non-voice activities. And, for the first time, more Americans say cell phones—rather than landline phones—are the one technology device they couldn’t live without.

Did anyone else feel the earth shift? Americans now value cell phones or personal digital assistants (PDAs) over the internet and television—RLY. This quest for faster, mobile access is transforming communication. And young adults, particularly Hispanics and African-Americans, are leading the way. The trend is particularly strong among Hispanics, 73% of whom say they send or receive text messages. This compares with 68% of African-Americans and 53% of white adults. Read more in eSchool News online.