The Age of Texting

1. Our phones are getting bigger and bigger… bigger and bigger… Our phones are getting 43% Smartphones from the top 10 phone manufacturers have increased 43% in size over the past 7 years.

2. …but we talk less on the phone on the phone …but we talk less Over 4 in 5 of American 18- to 34-year-olds list a text-based medium (texting, email, social media) as their preferred communication channel. 81%

3. We live in the Age of Texting Age of Texting We live in the The average American spends over 3 hours texting every day. 3 hours+

4. - It’s fast - It lowers anxiety - Phones are no longer designed primarily for calling calling - It’s fast - It lowers anxiety - Phones are no longer designed primarily for Texting involves fewer social cues than calling. There’s no voice, no body language, no facial expressions.

5. In the past, texting was primarily used to simply coordinate appointments. simply coordinate appointments. In the past, texting was primarily used to Today, it has become the main channel many people use to handle complex interactions such as arguments, delivering bad news, and breaking up. news, and breaking up. Today, it has become the main channel many people use to handle complex interactions such as arguments, delivering bad Texting is reconfiguring the ways we interact with each other, the levels of trust we build, and what we expect from each other.

6. It’s pain-free to break up in a text message… up in a text message… It’s pain-free to break 39% of young Americans have broken up a relationship in a text. 64% have had an argument on text. 39%

7. …but afterwards most people regret not doing it in person or on the phone. phone. …but afterwards most people regret not doing it in person or on the More than 3 in 4 who had previously broken up in a text message subsequently regretted their choice of medium. 78%

8. Feeling under the weather? Better text your boss… your boss… Feeling under the weather? Better text Over half of young Americans report sick to work through non-verbal media (texting, email, social media) 51%

9. …but most employers feel that employees who text in sick cannot be trusted. trusted. …but most employers feel that employees who text in sick cannot be Two thirds of managers find texting in sick a completely unacceptable or somewhat unacceptable way for staff to report sick. 67%

10. Got some bad news? How would you deliver it? How would you deliver it? Got some bad news? 25% of young Americans prefer to deliver bad news to other people using text messaging, email or social media. 25%

11. Texting offers… Lower anxiety and fewer social cues Lower anxiety and fewer social cues Texting offers… But it also entails… More ambiguity and lower levels of trust between people trust between people But it also entails… More ambiguity and lower levels of The dramatic increase in use of texting should be viewed in tandem with the facts that trust levels in society are dropping and anxiety levels increasing.

12. Why do you text? Why do you text?

13. All research data used in this presentation originate from the book Texting in Sick: How Smartphones, Texting, and Social Media are Changing Our Relationships (2015). Changing Our Relationships (2015). All research data used in this presentation originate from the book Texting in Sick: How Smartphones, Texting, and Social Media are Available on Amazon (paperback & kindle) kindle) Available on Amazon (paperback & www.textinginsick.com