The wider effects of texting…
By Ben Robinson on Saturday, January 24th, 2009 at 2:12 PM PST In Research, The Digital Life
BBC News has got a great story on it’s website regarding the fact that texting signals much wider trends today….
So for starters. there’s the fact that apparently, over-25s use their index finger to ring a doorbell – whereas under-25s use their thumb – something due to the usage of the thumb for mobile device control! So says Anand Chandrasekher, head of Intel’s ultra mobility group.
I won’t go on to spoil the article, since it’s a good read (check it here), but it does make you think, doesn’t it – Mobile devices have changed the way we communicate, and in a wider sense, social relationships. I would swear that younger people give shorter, abbreviated answers to questions generally, because they are used to compartmentalizing their thoughts on texts, twitter updates, facebook updates, or some other similar platform!
The uniqueness of the Mobile device as well, in being the only piece of portable consumer CE that people will carry around 24/7, is something that shouldn’t be understated – the sense of “loss” that some people feel when removed from their device can apparently be on a scale similar to losing a person – difficult to believe I know…..!
What I wonder is in 25 years’ time, will a generation of texters even be able to move their thumbs – the failure of thumb joints from over-usage is going to be massive! 
[Original story via: BBC News]
