Introduction
Texting is one of the most common forms of communication that is used. It is a process where short messages are exchanged between mobile phones over cellular networks. The term is usually used to refer to messages sent through the short message service but it also includes messages sent as video, images, and sound content. Messages sent as video, images, and sound content are known as multimedia messages. Text message is a term used to refer to individual messages because in most cases, the messages are exchanged between individuals. Some individuals prefer using text messages because they are cheaper than calling. Recently, service providers and advertisers have begun using text messages to notify individuals with mobile phones about promotions, payment due dates, changes in operations, and others. In general, text messaging has affected the culture in our society in different ways. Different individuals and firms use text messages for different purposes such as commercial, business, personal, and many others. Text messaging affects many businesses and the social life of individuals who use the service.
Theme
Texting have had a great effect on businesses and the social life of individuals. Text messages have been used for business and commercial purposes widely. The use of text messages has made interaction between individuals easier. The culture in a given community is affected by texting where the quality of life improves. For example, a doctor may use texting to communicate with his or her patient and know the progress after treatment. Business organizations use text messaging to advertise the products they produce to consumers. Text messages can be used to spread information that is urgent and needs quick attention. Individuals can also subscribe to receive information and breaking news via text messages. The theme of the paper is to examine how texting has been used for business and commercial purposes and helped improve social life of individuals in the United States.
Paper Argument
This paper will seek to discuss how text messaging has affected businesses and the lives of individuals in the United States. Basically, it will look at the effect of text messaging on businesses and the culture of individuals in the United States. For example, new businesses have started to offer services through text messaging.
Literature Review
Text messaging has become an effective way for businesses to communicate with mobile subscribers. In fact, short message service gateway providers have facilitated the traffic of short messages between mobile subscribers and businesses. This has allowed businesses to communicate critical information to subscribers without fear of leaking of the information.
Many businesses have begun as a result of the short message service. Businesses have been formed where the intention is to deliver digital content to subscribers. Organizations are today sending news alerts to subscribers. The subscribers are required to register for the news alerts and they are charged a fee for every alert received (Bovee 23). This keeps those who have subscribed informed. An individual need not to stay next to a television set to get breaking news. Financial information is also sent to subscribers who have registered to receive them. An individual keeps updated on shares prices and can go for them when the prices fall. Other forms of premiums received include logos and ringtones. When an individual receives premium content, some extra fee is charged. The extra fee goes to the service provider who sends the premium to subscribers. The mobile network operator receives their usual fee charged for delivery of a short message. This way, many businesses have been started and the lives of many individuals have improved.
Real world services are today being carried out using premium messages and this has helped improve the lives of individuals. Some vending machines produced these days allow subscribers to pay bill by sending a premium rated short message (Mah 92). When one sends a premium rated short message, the cost of the item bought is added to the bill of the phone that sent the short message. The cost of the item could also be subtracted from the prepaid credits of the user. This is quite safe because individuals do not need to carry cash which can be lost or stolen. An individual can also purchase goods even without cash as long as he or she has some money in the phone. This way, the lives of many individuals is improved for there are few cases of loss of money as individuals go for shopping.
Text service websites have made life efficient for individuals with mobile phones. This is a type of free premium where individuals who are registered in the websites receive free text messages when new items come into the market (Almonte 45). They also receive free text messages if some items that they are interested in go on sale. When an individual is made aware of the existence of a new item in the market, they get an opportunity to use it as an alternative to other items. In most cases, new items are cheaper and original so that they attract many customers. This is an advantage to the individual who receives such information. Again, when an item that one is interested in is introduced into the market, the individual gets to fulfill his or her intention for the item. This way, life becomes more efficient for individuals who are registered in these websites.
Businesses use text messages to increase their competitive advantage (Bovee 32). This new form of communication has improved communication between businesses and consumers. Business owners send text messages to order for products and confirm delivery. This way, a lot of time that could have been wasted to post letters for orders and delivery is saved. This money can be used in other activities that increase the competitive advantage of a business. Service providers such as stock brokers and investors communicate with clients using text messages. They send alerts that notify these individuals of any aspects that affect them. This improves the relationships between these service providers and clients. Those service providers that use the service have a competitive advantage over those who do not use it. In some institutions such as universities, students and faculties receive alerts regarding the institutions via text messages. Such institutions are very efficient in their operations. In general, those businesses that use text messages for communication with clients have a competitive advantage over others that do not use the service.
Mobile network operators have recently come up with systems that guarantee confidentiality, security, speed, and reliability (Cartis & Cobham 34). Organizations such as healthcare, financial services, enterprise, and energy and commodities trading have a critical procedure that they use to communicate with clients. A message sent to a client reaches him or her as it was intended and is only accessed by the client. The messages are also delivered instantly making communication efficient. Clients to financial institutions can now check their account balances from their mobile phones. They do not have to go to banks or the automated terror machines so as to check their balances. The balance is sent via a sent message. This has improved communication and eventually lives of clients and businessmen.
The use of mobile phones especially the text messages in all the above mentioned incidents creates employment. Many citizens have benefitted from these companies because they secured jobs that improve their lives. This eventually affects their social lives and those attached to them.
Text messaging helps in improving lives of individuals. Doctors interact with their patients frequently to improve the treatment of the patients (Haapala, Barengo, Biggs and Surakka 122). Doctors use text messages mostly to communicate with patients suffering from chronic diseases. Text messages can be used to remind patients of their responsibilities in treating a disease. A text message from the doctor will remind a patient of the next step in treating a disease and this will help in making the treatment more efficient. There are some diseases that require a patient to meet a doctor frequently so that the progress in treatment could be monitored. Doctors send text messages to patients to remind the patients of the dates for future meetings. The patients on the other hand contact doctors using text messages. A patient who fails to follow instructions in using a type of treatment can send a text message to a doctor enquiring of the dangers associated with such mistakes and the necessary steps. Text messaging has been used by doctors to improve the treatment of patients. This builds a new culture where treatment becomes more efficient and treatment schedules go as they have been planned.
Text messaging is very important in times of emergencies. Individuals use text messaging to pass emergency information to friends and others who are concerned. This can help save money and other resources because the message is likely to trigger a quick response. When a person is in a meeting, there is a chance that the individual will not take a phone. Sending an emergent text message will still deliver the message and an immediate step may be taken.
There are some tasks that require the combined efforts of individuals. Text messaging provides a better way of bringing people to one place. Text messaging is used to remind individuals of meetings and other issues such as the importance of punctuality. Some people have used text messages to invite people to occasions. An individual needs not to spend a lot of money, time and energy distributing letters or travelling to invite individuals to an occasion. Those who are not available for a meeting can notify others in advance. Text messaging provides a convenient way of inviting people to occasions and receiving the response of the people. This affects the social life in that meetings will be more efficient in terms of attendance.
Text messaging has recently been used for donation purposes (Bullock 11). An example is the earthquake disaster that occurred in Haiti. Individuals were invited by different organizations such as the Red Cross to donate. Those who were touched text messaged their donations. Donations have previously been text-messaged and this is a convenient way of responding to emergencies. When help or donations are text-messages, they are received immediately.
Text messaging has increased efficiency in general. An individual is capable of communicating even when he or she is in a place where calling is not allowed. When in a meeting, an individual can send a message telling another who is calling that he or she is in a meeting and will call later. When one cannot reach a friend through calling, he or she can send a message so that the individual knows that one tried to call. In addition to all the above features, text messaging is cheaper than calling. Many individuals prefer communicating using text messages also because text messages can be used for future reference (Andrea 14).
Insights from Literature Review
The literature review leaves one with some questions. Other than culture alone, are there other aspects of life that are affected by text messaging? What is the negative side of text messaging? If there is a negative side, do the advantages outdo the disadvantages or the vice versa? According to the literature, text messaging provides opportunities for growth and development for the young people and should therefore be encouraged. Young children belonging to individuals who possess mobile phones or those who can access them are likely to perform better in schools than children who do not have access to mobile phones.
Method Background
Text messaging has affected businesses and the lives of many individuals in the United States. The population for this study is defined as businesses and those individuals who have mobile phones especially those who use the mobile phones for texting. Since it is a bit hard to carry out the research on the entire population, samples will be taken randomly. The views presented by the businesses and individuals who use their mobile phone for texting will be used to generalize the results and conclusion to the entire population. The research on the effects of texting on the lives of many individuals needs to be as relevant as possible. To obtain the most relevant information on text messaging, questionnaires will be used. The questionnaires will be used on the businesses and individuals in the samples taken. The questionnaire designed will be friendly to the respondents and will only cover issues that are related to text messaging. Text messaging is a sensitive issue and it is important for the questionnaire to avoid identifying the business or individual who responded to the questions. This would lead to collection of more detailed information on texting because the respondents will be sure that they will not be identified. The information provided by the individuals in the samples will be assumed to the same information that could have been collected if other samples were taken. A meeting will be organized where the respondents will be requested to sacrifice sometime and agree on a date when they will be available to respond to the questions. They will also be told of the reason as top why the research is being done and be promised that their answers will not be revealed to any other business or person and that the information that they will provide will not be used for other purposes other than research and analysis. For them to give all the information that they have, a good rapport will be created.
Development
Text messaging is an aspect of life that has greatly affected individuals’ way of living. There are both primary and secondary sources providing information on the topic. However, most of the sources are secondary (Short and Mcmurray 167). The availability of sources of information and the effect of the texting phenomenon led to development of the project. Texting is an issue of concern this has led to the need for collection of more information and analysis. This project was developed to confirm whether it is true that text messaging affects the cultures of individuals who use the service. Availability of primary information is very important because it provides one with relevant information on the topic.
Analyses
Analyses will be done after the collection of the data. All the data collected will be compiled and an appropriate distribution will be used to do the analyses. The analysis will be used to make conclusions and give recommendations. This will confirm whether text messaging affects the culture of individuals in a positive or a negative way.
Conclusion
Texting is a phenomenon that is used by many businesses and individuals since it was invented. It began by the exchange of text messages but later expanded to the exchange of multimedia messages where images and video can be exchanged. Businesses use text messages for communication with clients. Text messaging has led to the formation of new businesses that send news alerts, logos, ringtones, financial information, and many others. These businesses improve the lives of people by keeping them updated and providing entertainment. Some vending machines produced these days allow subscribers to pay bill by sending a premium rated short message. Individuals need not to carry cash money that can be lost or stolen. Subscribers also receive news on the emergence of new products and other products they are interested in. Mobile network operators have recently come up with systems that guarantee confidentiality, security, speed, and reliability. Organizations such as healthcare, financial services, enterprise, and energy and commodities trading have a critical procedure that they use to communicate with clients. Many individuals have been employed as a result of the many businesses that have been begun. This improves the lives of such individuals and others who are associated to him or her. Doctors use text messages to communicate with their patients and this has helped improve the conditions of the patient. Businesses are using text messaging to advertise their products. This has helped enhance businesses by attracting more customers. Text messaging has brought a new way of learning where a teacher can give an assignment and ask the students to exchange answers. This affects the culture of learning in schools. Text messaging has led to the development of informal languages where individuals have a choice of languages. Texting develops the reading capacity of very young children. People exchange text messages in times of emergencies and this leads to collection of people together for rescue purposes. Individuals can use text messaging to control diets, give donations, and many others.
Works Cited
Almonte, Richard. Essentials of Business Communication, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Andrea, M. Teaching the Millennial Generation. American Music Teacher, 59.1(2009): 13-15.
Bovee, C. L. Business Communication Today. Oxford: Oxford University Press,( 2005), 12-43.
Bullock S. How to Make Gifts to Haiti Count. USA Today n. d. 2010.
Cartis, G. & Cobham, D. Business Information System: Analysis, Design and Practice, London: McMillan Publishers.
Haapala I, Barengo N, Biggs S, Surakka L, and Manninen P. Weight Loss By Mobile Phone: A 1-Year Effectiveness Study. Public Health Nutrition, 12.12 (2009) : 2382-2391.
Mah, P. Using Text Messaging in Businesses. 2008, Web.