20 years ago, unknown computer engineer,
Neil Papworth sparked a social and cultural revolution that changed the way we
communicate forever.
On the 3rd December 1992 he
typed “Merry Christmas” into his computer (phones didn’t have a keyboard until
1997!) and sent it to his bosses phone at the work’s Christmas Party.
It worked!
Since this day, SMS (short-message service),
has become one of the most popular methods of communication in the modern age.
According to Ofcom research, the typical UK
adult sends 50 texts a week. In 2011 alone 150 billion texts were sent. That’s
triple the amount of texts sent since 2006.
While the average adult sends 50 texts a
week, the typical 12-15 year old from the UK sends 193 texts per week. That’s
nearly 4 times the amount.
There is no doubt youngster’s around the
world are keeping their idle thumbs busy by constantly updating their friends
with what they are up to.
But are things actually changing?
Yes they are!
SMS levels are showing a slight decline in
the first half of 2012. The amount of texts sent from January to July of this
year, has dropped by 1 billion, compared to last year.
But this does not mean we’re communicating
less.
In fact, we’re communicating more than ever
before. Just in a different way.
Today, 39% of adults own smartphones and
this figure increases day by day.
The reason behind the decline in SMS is due
to an increased use of instant messaging services used on the mobile.
As more people are now communicating
through services like Facebook Messenger, Twitter, IM, WhatsApp – people aren’t
needing to text via traditional means.
Therefore, communication through 160
character passages is still as popular as ever before.
As consumers are evolving, so will
businesses.
LottoByText believe there is a cultural
shift in how we communicate. However, it is very much in it’s infancy.
As the UK’s leading mobile lottery syndicate operator, LottoByText, have adapted to these changes and opened up
new channels in the process.
Firstly, the shift is still in its early stages. SMS is still the most prevalent
means of communication and it will be for some time.
Secondly, playing the lottery on your
mobile phone is one of the best ways to play the Lotto & EuroMillions. The
lines are sent directly to your phone so you never miss a draw and you are also
kept up-to-date with all the lottery results.
Importantly, the EuroMillions is the one of
the biggest lotteries in the world. The current jackpot is an estimated
£69,000,000. With Christmas coming up can you spare a bit of spare cash to be
in with a chance of winning a share of the huge jackpot.
Our syndicates really do boost your
chances. We had over 40,000 winners last month and that number grows month on
month.
