Vlingo: Two thirds of U.S. mobile subscribers now text

Sixty-six percent of all U.S. mobile subscribers now use their phones to exchange text messages according to a survey conducted by independent panel research firm Toluna and commissioned by intelligent voice applications provider Vlingo. Young people remain the dominant texting demographic, with 97 percent of teens and 93 percent of twentysomethings embracing text communications, but 79 percent of subscribers in their 30s now text as well, up from 75 percent a year ago. Among subscribers in their 40s, texting jumped from 64 percent in 2009 to 70 percent in 2010, with users in their 50s increasing from 46 percent to 55 percent.

Forty three percent of respondents across all age groups send an average of more than 100 texts per month, Vlingo notes. A third of respondents aged 13 to 19 send over 1,000 texts each month. "The 3 percent of teens who don't text say they prefer talking to typing, or that texting is too expensive. We suspect their parents probably have not bought them a text messaging plan," said Vlingo president and CEO Dave Grannan in an interview with FierceMobileContent. "If we look at respondents ages 60 and above, 65 percent of them don't text. We bet most of them prefer talking to typing."

The Vlingo survey also identified a troubling rise in texting while driving: Despite the introduction of several new state laws banning motorists from texting behind the wheel, 35 percent of respondents admit they continue to do so, up from 26 percent in 2009. The worst offenders are adults between the ages of 20 and 29, with 62 percent admitting they text while driving. Teens aged 16 to 19 followed at 53 percent. Even so, 91 percent of drivers believe they are more likely to get into an accident while reading or typing a text message, and 90 percent feel that reading or typing a text message is as unsafe as not wearing a seatbelt. 

"Although 35 percent of respondents are admitting to texting while driving, we believe the true number is even higher," Grannan said. "What also troubles me is that the least experienced drivers are doing it the most."

For more on the Vlingo survey:
- read this release

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