Just a few years ago, most people thought of cell phones primarily as phones. In 2010, a cell phone means much more to teenagers.
According to recent research conducted by the Pew Research Center, “Text messaging has become the primary way that teens reach their friends, surpassing face-to-face contact, email, instant messaging and voice calling as the go-to daily communication tool for this age group.”
According to even more recent research by The Nielsen Company, the average teenager now sends over 3,000 texts per month. Teens are sending 8% more texts in 2010 than they did in 2009, per second quarter statistics. Females continue to out text males with the genders respectively averaging monthly text figures of 4,050 and 2,539 respectively. While the number of texts sent per month decreases with age, no older group averages even half as many texts as teens.
So What?
How do your congregation’s youth ministry and young adult ministry utilize text messaging?
Does your youth director/pastor or another youth ministry staff member provide regular ministry reminders to all students and parents on an opt in basis?
Are there clear rules about text messaging for adult staff and volunteers who work with minors in your Child Protection Policy or Safe Sanctuary Guidelines? Since text messaging and other technology continues to change at a rapid pace, what process does your congregation have in place to ensure that your technological expectations don’t become outdated?