Study: 73% of Americans send text messages, but only 31% prefer a message instead of a call

When my phone rings I generally cringe, not because I am hiding from anyone or expecting any bad news, I simply do not like to talk on the phone. Me personally, I would much rather get an email or text message instead of a phone call. Or even a Facebook message would be a better alternative. And that phone call is only made worse when I let it go unanswered and it results in a voice mail. Well, you get the picture, messaging is best for me, mainly because it is quick and effective. That being said, a recent study coming from Pew Internet is showing that 31 percent of American cell phone users are like myself — preferring a text message instead of a phone call. And on the flip side to that, some 53 percent still prefer a voice call with another 14 percent in the undecided camp. Well, more specifically, that 14 percent likes both and feels it depends on the situation.

Otherwise, some of the other tidbits from the study show that 83 percent of American adults have a cell phone and 73 percent of those use their phone for sending and receiving text messages. They are also saying that the average user sends or receives an average of 12 calls per day and an average of 41.5 messages on a typical day. But taking that up just a bit, those in the 18 to 24 group are sending the most messages, showing an average of 109.5 per day for a total of more than 3,200 per month. With that, it seems clear that more and more Americans are using text messaging to communicate, but still, I cannot understand why only 31 percent of that surveyed group prefer the text message. One would have though that would be higher. Or maybe, just maybe that is the anti-social side of me thinking.

Via [Pew Internet]