To Text or Not to Text: Indeed, That is the Question

If you’re among the vast majority of Americans who own a cell phone, the answer is probably yes.You’re likely to text here and there—on the job and off.

 

But if you’re between the ages of 18 and 24 years old – the answer is definitely yes. Young adults and first-job professionals send and receive more text messages than ever before. A survey released this week by The Pew Research Center found this age group averages 110 texts per day. That means they text more than 3,200 times per month!

 

Clearly texting is a media to reckon with. Its popularity will only grow (witness the texting behavior of a 14-year-old). Yet similar to the introduction of email decades ago and the telephone (a long time ago), texting is creeping into the workplace without guidelines and protocol. The result is often costly miscommunication that can shave away morale and productivity.

 

So I ask the question – to text or not to text? Here are five scenarios for you to answer: