SMSing Under the Dinner Table

A new T-Mobile USA survey on mobile communications during the American holiday season shows that active use of cell phones, instant messaging and texting devices is creating new family dynamics at holiday dinners and family gatherings.

In the survey:

• Seventy percent of young adults (ages 18-22) and 56 percent of parents surveyed say they've made or answered wireless calls during a holiday gathering.
• Thirty-five percent of young adults say they've read or sent an e-mail or text message under the dinner table during a holiday family gathering.
• In addition, 67 percent of parents and young adults now agree that it is okay to use their mobile phone during holiday gatherings. Moreover, 73 percent of people surveyed agree the mobile phone can improve the holidays by keeping people in touch with those not there in person.

"We're seeing that new habits - namely mobile communications - are impacting age-old traditions," says Dr. Tracy Wellens, vice president of Consumer Insights, T-Mobile USA. "Wireless communication makes it possible to include more people than ever before at family gatherings. Loved ones who can't be there in person still can experience these special times remotely through a steady stream of mobile calls, picture and text messages."

Many young people also are sensitive to the importance of fully engaging with friends and family during holiday gatherings. In the survey, although young adults are clearly more active users of cell phones and texting devices than their parents during the holiday season, some admit to feeling concerned about using their device during these special gatherings. For example, of those young adults who thought it was not okay to use a mobile phone during a holiday gathering, 35 percent of them cite the need to be focused on spending time with family.

"There's a sense of guilt among some young people about using their cell phone or texting device during the holidays," Wellens says. "This leads to them concealing the activity or disappearing altogether during special holiday get-togethers. Yet, these young people have the same motivations as their parents - they want to stay connected with people who matter - particularly during meaningful times of the year. For that reason, it's important for parents and their children to work together to figure out how to incorporate mobile communications into holiday celebrations so that everyone feels a part of the fun."

Also notable in the survey is that mobile communications is now seen as one of the leading ways people stay connected with those who are important to them during the holiday season.

In the survey:

• When asked about keeping in touch with family during the holidays, 65 percent of all people surveyed say they use mobile phones while only 47 percent cite using traditional mail (such as holiday cards).
• When it comes to communicating with friends, young adults are much more likely to use a mobile phone (84 percent) versus other forms of communication such as traditional mail or holiday cards (23 percent).
• Thirty-two percent of parents and young adults surveyed use instant messages to stay connected with friends during the holidays. Twenty-three percent use text messages, and 22 percent use social networking sites.

Posted to the site on 22nd November 2006