Texting slows down in the summer. Even so, at least 55 million text messages were sent every day during June. That brought the total to 10 billion messages for the first half of this year.
More than eight out of 10 people under 25 say they are more likely to send someone a text message than make a phone call. Why? Does easier and more convenient necessarily mean better? What might you miss if you don't have a telephone conversation? Is it likely to lead to more misunderstanding?
Are exchanges less subtle? Talking to people on the phone is a useful skill - in business and for your personal life. But to get good at anything you need to practise. Are young people missing out?
Talk about criticism of the effects of texting. Some teachers have complained about texting abbreviations and styles being used in written exam questions and essays. Is this a problem?
One expert in slang suggests the English language itself could change - with words like "goodbye" and "hello" being replaced by "laters" and "yo". Is this likely? Does it matter?
Are there any situations where texting is not appropriate? Is a text message just as significant as a birthday card? Which would you rather have? Some people were sacked from their job by text message. Is that right? What about finishing a relationship by text?
There have been clearly negative uses of texting. Some young people report being bullied by threatening and aggressive texts. How widespread is this?
How might the problem be tackled?
Some companies and charities are trying to appeal to young people by promoting themselves through text messages. Does this impress young people?
Is texting overpriced? There is currently a price war, with costs of a single message ranging from 1p to 12p. What is a fair price? Would young people change their mobile phone company to get cheaper texting?
