By Greg Thom Herald Sun January 25, 2011
Men really, really care about your grammar. Fact. Source: The Sunday Telegraph
PURISTS may believe SMS text messaging is killing the English language, but good grammar, it seems, is unlikely to go out of style.
The Herald Sun reports new research into the nation's texting habits has revealed more than half of all Australians dislike receiving truncated SMS that include abbreviations. Men are less tolerant than women of shorthand texting, with 40 per cent preferring proper spelling compared to 32 per cent of their gender opposites. Topping the list of irritating missives are "totes" (short for "totally"), "4COL" (for crying out loud) and "wut" (what). More than half of men (56 per cent) are more likely to find them silly or unnecessary compared to 37 per cent of women. Despite the findings, Australians love affair with texting continues to grow at an astonishing rate.
More than one in 10 of us send more than 10 SMS every day.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, 18 to 24-year-olds are the most avid texters, pumping out as many as of 40 SMS every weekend. Just because some SMS abbreviations are given the thumbs down however, doesn't mean others don't hit the right note. The top five most regularly used SMS abbreviations include "lol" (laugh out loud); "b4" (before); "omg" (oh my god); "gr8" (great) and "fyi" (for your information).
When it comes to firing off a text message, it seems we are not all the same. Researchers have categorised SMS users into five groups ranging from practical texters who use the technology for no-nonsense tasks such as reminding a spouse to pick up some milk, to textaholics whose mobiles run their lives. Telstra consumer executive Director Rebekah O'Flaherty said customers sent more than nine billion SMSes in 2009/2010. "Whether we're in the office, at home or on the move, SMS is an indispensable way for Australians to communicate, with Telstra's research suggesting setting up social outings, getting a message out en-masse and trying to avoid confrontation being the main drivers,'' she said.
The study also revealed:
ALMOST half of all Australians sleep with their mobile phone either on or right next to their bed every night.
MORE than three quarters of seniors aged 65 years and over send an SMS on a daily basis, with five per cent firing off up to 10 texts on the weekend.
The five groups of texters identified by Telstra in the survey were:
1. Practi Texter: Sends a handful of SMSes each day, mainly for practical purposes, such as reminding their partner to pick up milk or confirm a time to catch up with friends.
2. Straight shooter: Friends and family are lucky to ever receive a text message from a straight shooter and if they do, it's likely to contain a one-word answer such as "yes" or "no".
3. Textaholic: Always texting, even if it's to let someone know they've just left them a voicemail or to remind them to return an earlier SMS.
4. Silent Texter: Known to pull out the mobile phone and start texting whenever there is a lull in conversation. Hates awkward silences.
5. Mass Texter: Love sending an SMS to multiple people at once.
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