Perceptions of Mobile Instant Messaging Apps Are Comparable to Texting for Young Adults in the United States

Abstract

In recent years, text messaging (“texting”) has become the dominant method of communication for young adults. This prevalence of texting has led to research exploring the beneficial and detrimental behaviors associated with texting, indicating wide-ranging social and human factors implications. As texting continues to take precedence over other forms of communication and research begins to address texting behaviors, the question arises about whether people use other mobile instant messaging applications (“IM apps”) similarly. The current study expands on the research of texting behaviors by asking how similarly young adults view apps (e.g., WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc.) to texting. Results indicated that young adults in the United States use texting more frequently than text-based apps, but that these apps are viewed similarly to texting. The implication is that research addressing texting behaviors may apply to other forms of text-based communication; however, texting remains the most prominent mode of communication, justifying its own continued examination.

Texting as a multidimensional behavior: Individual differences and measurement of texting behaviors.

“…Today, texting is the most frequently and most widely used smartphone feature, especially among young adults (Smith et al, 2015). Texting pervades everyday life and is the most preferred form of communication among young adults (Bailey, Schroeder, Whitmer, & Sims, 2016; Harley, Winn, Pemberton, & Wilcox, 2007; Haste, 2005; Lenhart, Ling, Campbell, & Purcell, 2010; Lister, 2010), more so than even face-to-face communication (Skierkowski & Wood, 2012). Primarily, texting is a social behavior that facilitates communication and fosters relationships among users (Luo & Tuney, 2015; Reid & Reid, 2004, 2007), but also satisfies other motivations, such as distracting oneself or escaping from one’s immediate surroundings (Domoff, 2010; Pettijohn, Frazier, Rieser, Vaughn, & Hupp-Wilds, 2015; Reid & Reid, 2007).…”

“So you think I'm cute?”: An observational study of adolescents' appearance evaluation in text messaging

“…Social media features such as direct messaging function similarly to texting, suggesting that findings can be extrapolated to private messaging features on newer platforms. Texting may be used more often than instant messaging applications such as Facebook Messenger and Snapchat, and these apps are perceived as similar to texting (Bailey et al, 2016). Additionally, developments in digital technologies have made it increasingly difficult to observe digital communication.…”

“…The quick and accessible nature of texting may present an additional avenue to communicate about appearance, even if this communication is limited to text content (e.g., complaining about one's appearance at school that day; greeting friends and romantic partners with a positive appearance assessment). Moreover, direct messaging features of many major social media platforms (e.g., Instagram) mirror the structure of text messaging, and adolescents and young adults use them similarly (Bailey et al, 2016). This suggests that how appearance conversations occur via texting could also be extrapolated to how they occur via social media direct messaging.…”

A mixed methods examination of adolescents’ reasons for pretending to text

“…Furthermore, due to the rapid pace of technological advancement, adolescents may be engaging with personal electronic devices in social situations in different ways (see Vaterlaus, Barnett, Roche, & Young, 2016). Yet, even with the increase in messaging apps, texting is still a primary form of communication and used more than text‐based apps for young adults (Bailey, Schroeder, Whitmer, & Sims, 2016). Due to the increasing prevalence of interactive technology, future research should examine adolescent behaviors with interactive devices and applications in social situations for similar avoidance, appearance, and personal safety reasons.…”