Have you received a marriage proposal over text? You're not alone; new survey shows surprising texting trends in the U.S.
MINNEAPOLIS -- Do you text during work meetings? How about during a wedding or funeral? Have you ever been dumped via text? These are all questions that the company Infobip collected data on in their latest survey about SMS texting.
Infobip surveyed over 1,000 Americans about their SMS texting habits in commemoration of the first ever SMS text, which was sent on Dec. 3, 1992, by Neil Papworth.
Papworth is a software programmer from the U.K. who had been working as a developer and test engineer to create a short message service, also known as SMS. The very first text was sent from Papworth, which carried the simple phrase, "Merry Christmas".
Since the first text, SMS usage has exploded, and has become the go-to form of communication for billions of people all around the world.
Honoring the first SMS text, Infobip conducted and released a survey containing information regarding Americans' habits of SMS texting.
The results from the survey show that SMS texting is and will remain one of the most popular forms of communication. Infobip's survey found that 41% of Americans would rather communicate via SMS or another form of instant messaging than a phone call. This number is even larger among the younger people surveyed; 48% of Gen Zers and 53% of millennials prefer to text.
Many respondents in the survey cited that there are no limits to where they text. Not even the open road can stop some users; 52% of millennials report that they text and drive, while 40.7% of Gen Xers and 30% of baby boomers and Gen Zers admit the same. Those surveyed also reported texting during everything from work meetings to funerals and weddings.
Some people respond to texts right away, while others prefer to read the message and leave without sending a response. The majority of millennials, 57.9%, reported that they leave text messages on read, with 48.7% of Gen Zers, 46.9% of Gen Xers, and 38% of baby boomers reporting the same.
There's no question that people check their messages quickly, however; 27.5% of all respondents check their messages within one minute, and 40% check them within one to five minutes.
SMS texting is heavily used in romantic relationships as well; 63% of millennials and 61% of Gen Zers report that texting is an important part of romance. Also, 26% of millennials and 17% of Gen Zers even reported receiving a marriage proposal via text.
Click here to read more results of Infobip's survey.
