Mobile phones, SMS, and relationships

Text messaging, or SMS (Short-Messoge Service), allows users to send and receive short messages from handheld digital mobile phones or from o computer to a mobile phone, giving almost instant access to others so connected. The privacy and immediacy of SMS and its widespread use have implications for human behoviour and sociol intercourse. The focus-group research with SMS users reported in this paper provides rich details and nuances of how text messaging affects young adults' patterns of communication and social behaviaor. The paper goes beyond documenting comnlonly held beliefs about young adults' use of SMS-that it is prevalent and used for coardinotion-to probe issues of privocy, control of access, the dilemma of avoilobility, and gender differences in use. The paper examines the way SMS messages ore used not only for the content of the messages per se, but for the sense of being in sociol (phatic) contact with others. he mobile phone is now ubiquitous, and mobile-phone technology to access the Short-Message Service (SMS), whereby messages of fewer than 160 characters are exchanged directly-has become a common way for users to communicate. Transcripts of focus groups of young people who use SMS on mobile phones reveal that they are using Mory R. Power. Schwl messages primarily for making connections and affirming relationships. The frequently used text message 'WSSW' ('yeah, yeah, Aurrralio. sure, sure, whatever') epitomises much of Mobile phones, SMS, and relationships

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