Adult Text Use Increases

Sending SMS messages was initially embraced most keenly by the younger generation. However a new survey by the The Pew Research Centre suggests that texting amongst adults is on the rise. In the 9 month period from September 2009 to May 2010 the proportion of US adults sending and receiving texts rose to 72%. It seems likely that this is trend could also be seen in Europe and Asia where the uptake of mobile technology has typically been ahead of the US. Teenagers are still the number one users of text messages, sending on average five times more SMS messages a day than adult texters. The interesting point here is not the number of messages sent, but the growing familiarity of the technology amongst the adult population. Mobile phones and SMS messages are a convenient way to communicate for all age groups – incorporating this blossoming technology into your clinical trial can make life easier for both the study staff and the all important subjects.