Kids grab on to anything new that allows them to keep their private life a secret from their parents. This desire for secrecy is likely feeding the raging popularity of text messaging services among teens. Voice calling generates a phone bill which allows parents to snoop into who their kids are calling and when - text messaging layers communication in a cloak of privacy, allowing kids to text away to their heart's content with whomever they choose.
Implications - Those committed to researching modern adolescent behavior explains the popularity of text messaging as inevitable. Going so far as to claim it as a crafty way to create privacy and parental distance, the text message is an ideal communication medium for teens.
Text Messaging Soars In Popularity Amongst Teens
Secret, Faceless, Anonymous
Trend Themes
1. Increased Text Messaging - The popularity of text messaging continues to rise among teens, providing opportunities for disruptive innovation in messaging platforms and related technologies.
2. Privacy-driven Communication - Privacy concerns are driving teens towards communication methods that allow for anonymity and secrecy, presenting opportunities to create disruptive technologies that prioritize privacy and security.
3. Shift From Voice to Text - The shift towards text-based communication among teens represents a move away from traditional voice calling, creating opportunities to develop innovative text-based communication tools and services.
Industry Implications
1. Messaging Platforms - The growing popularity of text messaging presents opportunities for businesses to develop messaging platforms with enhanced privacy features and innovative messaging utilities.
2. Mobile Network Providers - The shift towards text messaging from traditional voice calling presents challenges and opportunities for mobile network providers to adapt and offer new services to meet the changing communication needs of teens.
3. Parental Monitoring Tools - The popularity of secretive text messaging among teens presents an opportunity for businesses to develop parental monitoring tools that balance privacy and oversight to maintain safety and trust between parents and their children.