People kept close to their keypads during August, traditionally a quiet time as schools break up and families head off to enjoy some quality leisure time together at home and abroad.
Text messaging figures continued to climb, recording their second highest monthly total for 2004 of 2.193 billion, according to figures released today by the Mobile Data Association (MDA). Person-to-person texts sent across the UK GSM network operators last month show an increase of 29.1% on the total sent during the same period in 2003, and a daily average of 71 million compared to 55 million in August 2003. The overall total of messages sent during the summer months of June, July and August was 6.45 billion.
On the 26th August 79 million text messages were sent as youngsters shared GCSE results and success with friends and family, according to statistics also released today by the Mobile Data Association. The new total is 52% higher than the 52 million text messages recorded in 2002, when the MDA last monitored text messaging statistics on GCSE results day, and continues the upward trend of communicating by text at this nail biting time.
It’s not just the kids that are sharing their news by text either! During the Summer months, the Mobile Data Association (MDA) and Shearings Holidays hosted a series of drop in text messaging workshops and special promotion days for the 50+ age group at Wyevale Garden Centres throughout the UK. A team of Text Messaging Experts were present at each centre to answer specific queries, teach people how to text and provide guidance on using handsets at home and abroad.
Of all the visitors to the 30 garden centres, 50% expressed an interest in learning how to text, 16% were happy to give it a go and 30% were already comfortable using the technology! The highest number of people shown how to text at any single location were 260 recorded in Swindon. In fact, people generally were amazed at how easy text messaging was once they had been shown what to do.
Most popular questions asked were about how to use predictive text, how to punctuate a text message and there was much interest in the subject of picture messaging.
15% of visitors were interested in improving their existing text messaging ability whilst those attending the workshops from Harlestone Heath, Northampton and Hereford were already happy texting on a regular basis.
Over the last five years text.it (www.text.it) has witnessed text messaging grow from a popular craze to becoming an essential communication tool. The full statistics of this text message explosion and monthly figure releases can be found at: www.text.it/mediacentre/default.asp?intPageID=96.
Text.it carries out text message counts on specific days throughout the year. Diary dates incorporating the most recent figures are listed on the web site at www.text.it/mediacentre/default.asp?intPageID=478.