The first SMS text message was sent way back in 1989. Since then the text messaging phenomenon went on to transform communication ad even language. Now it seems as if the heyday of the SMS may be coming to an end.
The sending of 160 character SMS text messages rose dramatically in popularity worldwide. The peak, however seems to have been reached with mobile phone carriers in a number of territories no reporting declining use of the service.
If you take a look around you will still see plenty of people fiddling with their phones. There are also plenty of reasons why sending a text would be preferable to making a voice call. So what is behind the drop in texting at a time when there are more handsets than ever before?
While mobile carriers have seen drops in the revenue that they receive from text messages there has been a concomitant rise in data usage. While web browsing and a host of data hungry apps have played their part in this so has the use of alternative ways of delivering a text based message to a contact.
We are now connected in more ways than ever before. While before someone with something to share might have sent out a group text today they can use Twitter. There are also any number instant messaging services, such as that offered by Facebook that can be accessed through the smart phones of today.
It is not just social media that is eating the phone companies’ lunches when it comes to text messages. There are services such as Skype, who are simultaneously providing an alternative to texting and also offering cut price text messaging themselves.
Though globally the alternatives to sending a text message through SMS are gaining in popularity, texts are not going to go away. However with smart phone adoption running at over 50% in the UK and other countries SMS is not going to be the moneyspinner it once was for operators.
TXTS R DED, LOL JK
