It’s official, text messaging isn’t just for teens and college students anymore. A recent mobile market report found 50% of text users are aged 35 or older. No surprise, it also reported 75% are aged 25 and up. Verizon Wireless was recently the first American carrier to report the average SMS (Short Message Service) text messages sent by its subscriber base had passed one SMS sent per phone subscriber per day.

“There are more than 255 million mobile phone users in the U.S. alone,” says Scott Meyer, senior partner of MyTxtConnect, a local Orlando text-based marketing company. “That’s roughly 85% of the population, and almost all of them have a phone with SMS capability.” As for the rest of the world, cell phone subscriptions have reached a record 3.3 billion, according to Reuters newswire. “Worldwide, about 84% of cell phone users text, at least occasionally,” says Meyer.

Back home, the texting phenomenon has taken American adults by storm, with many utilizing SMS-based texting technology for both business and pleasure. “It’s just an easy way to communicate with someone without having to pick up the phone,” says Mandy Taylor, marketing manager for Florida Hospital East Orlando. “The phone is moving in a direction where you can get an immediate response with anyone using text messages,” she adds. Taylor says she texts when a response is needed immediately, because the response time is so much shorter than e-mail.

The trend is even being utilized by presidential candidates in the upcoming election. In August, it was announced that the Obama campaign would broadcast his choice for a Vice Presidential running mate via text message to supporters who sign up to receive updates.

According to Meyer, SMS messages are read by 94% of their recipients, one reason the technology is so appealing to business professionals. Because of this, savvy businesses are moving to text marketing instead of standard email campaigns, because message deliverance is so much stronger. Meyer has worked with Simon Properties’ Waterford Lakes Town Center, regional Hooter’s restaurants, Lake Nona Super Suppers, WLOQ, US Hero’s Sub Shop, and Daily Grind Coffee. Companies can use text-based promotional offers, coupons, or enter-to-win campaigns to reach adult consumers.

“I go over 1,500 texts a month,” says Kelli Belfatto, team recruitment chair for the 2008 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Metro Orlando event. “I’ve actually had my Blackberry wiped out because it was overloaded with texts.” Belfatto says that texting is more convenient sometimes than a phone call, one reason she uses them so often. She says, “If you’re in a very loud place and there is no way for them to hear you, a text is perfect.”

Marisa Fischbein, an East Orlando stay at home mom, texts because it’s easier than being on the phone as well. “Sometimes I just don’t have the time to get in touch with every person I need to on the phone,” she says. “I can send out a text to each of them and avoid the phone entirely. It’s just easier than getting into a long conversation.”

Fischbein stresses that text messaging is useful, handy and very practical in her day-to-day life. “It’s a feature that anyone can use and it usually takes about two minutes to find out what I need to know, instead of 15 or 20 on the phone.”

Text messaging is rapidly becoming a mainstream form of communication for many adults in East Orlando and around the world. “But be careful because it’s addicting,” warns Belfatto. Just ask her Blackberry.

Fun Text Abbreviations

LOL – Laugh Out Loud

J/K – Just Kidding

BBFN – Bye Bye For Now

IMO – In My Opinion

CUL – See You Later

THX – Thanks

W/E – Whatever

ILY – I Love You

L8R – Later

QT – Cutie

@TEOTD - At the end of the day

LVM - Left voice mail

MTFBWU - May the force be with you

BBIAM - Be back in a minute

DYNWUTB - Do you know what you are talking about?

EAK - Eating at keyboard

G2CU - Good to see you

IG2R - I’ve got to run

ZUP - What’s up?

Article by Corey Gehrold