Thank God for the opposable thumb. It has lifted mankind out of the primordial muck and kept us at the top of the evolutionary chart. We’ve used this clever thumb to grasp clubs, cock rifles and unscrew the caps on our designer bottled water. But, these days, the opposable thumb is busier than ever. Thanks to the BlackBerry and other similar smart phones, a growing segment of the world’s population is using their thumbs to send a growing number of text messages. That’s right. Today, text messaging is one of the globe’s most popular communication methods.
Texters in the Philipines send an average of 600 text messages a month. Americans, by contrast, send only a modest 420 according to the latest data. But, of course, the numbers vary widely according to the demographic. For instance, chatty teenage girls send an average of 100 messages a day. Our more stoic teen boys thumb out only 30 or so texts each day. And grownups only average 10 text messages before they turn in each night.
As smart phones with email and web capabilities become more popular it is likely that Amercian texting will surpass those in the Phillipines and Korea. Already, many states have instituted laws banning texting will driving––a growing cause of fender benders and roadside fatalities. Which takes us to mobile marketing. More and more advertisers are using text messages to get their message out. In fact, many marketers are experimenting with technology that automatically sends you a money-saving text message whenever you pass one of their storefronts.
While the text message has yet to replace the outdoor board, who knows what the future holds? With technology anything is possible. That is, with technology and the opposable thumb.
