Texting replaces Letter Writing for Difficult Social Situations, claims Research

The ROAR consortium suggests that new etiquettes have developed for using mobiles, in a long-term study how technology has affected the lives of 15-24 years olds in the UK.

'New technologies require new languages. The arrival of the telephone required the learning of communication skills that do not use non-verbal cues. Without eye-contact, establishing patterns of conversation is significantly more difficult. Young people have grown up with this new language and feel completely comfortable using telecommunications,' suggests the report.

It says that, for many, making and receiving calls and text messages represents popularity and social status. 'Therefore to have a high mobile bill is a significant social marker. One 21 year old male explains: "You feel embarrassed if your bill is 20 quid and theirs is like £100."'

Texting meets fundamental emotional and social needs, enables young people to communicate secretly and privately, is practical, affordable and personalised.
* 40% of 16-24 year olds will send a text message to show that they are thinking of someone
* Yet just 13% will make a phone call from their mobile to express the same sentiment
* 27% will text their friends to arrange a social meeting

The qualitative aspects are also revealing: an 18-year-old female says "I think it's important to text all of your friends once a day."

Texting also helps young people deal with difficult issues in life such as flirting spontaneously, cancelling arrangements and avoiding awkward situations. 16-24 year olds are now just as likely to send a text message as write a letter to explain something difficult. Only 3 years ago writing a letter in such a circumstance far out-stripped texting, with twice as many 16-24s putting pen to paper as thumb to keypad in 2000.

The findings show that 3G has a battle on its hands, from the generation that might be supposed to espouse innovations. 79% of 15-24 year olds neither own nor intend to own a 3G phone within the next 12 months.

'Kerry from Liverpool said: "If I don't want to meet up with someone, I just text them... I'm such a bad liar, I know that they'll realise I'm just blowing them out if I phone them up."'

The report suggests a generation gap is operating, though. Adults see this constant use of text messaging and mobile phone use as culturally and socially backward. Quoting parents: "Young people spend all of their time on the phone.", "Young people dump each other over the phone now, it's crazy."
However:
* 63% of 16-24 year olds will use face to face communication in order to say something personal compared to just 51% of over 65 year olds
* Only 7% will send a text message to convey the same personal dialogue
* 54% of young people will still apologise face to face. They are more likely to do so than ANY other age group
which suggests that younger people are generally more communicative and understand the appropriateness of different forms of media.

The researchers asked a group of 15-24 year olds to give up their mobile phones and home internet access for a 2 week period. The results revealed some dependency - imaginary withdrawal symptoms were experienced by some.

But for many young people there is a growing ambivalence toward the mobile. A sense emerging that it is a false and slightly superficial form of engagement that keeps them from concentrating on the present moment.

Zoe, 20, commented on a friend who gave up her mobile for two weeks: "I did notice that when she didn't have her phone she gave me more attention, say when we went to the pub, she did actually listen a bit more which was nice."

Young people face new social dilemmas such as what to do when receiving a text message mid conversation, whether it is acceptable to end a relationship over the phone or what to do if running late for a social engagement - phone, text or just not worry. There are no established indicators for these situations.

ROAR's research might show that 15-24 year olds may appear to be behaving selfishly and wilfully. They might well cancel arrangements with others by text messaging, be late in a way that adults would find unconscionable, refuse to be pinned down even by their friends, and casually dump their partners over the phone but importantly they won't mind if the same is done to them.

96% of all 15-24 year olds now own a mobile phone.

Roar is a consortium of media firms including Emap Advertising, The Guardian and Observer, Channel 4 and OMD.

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