Teens Prefer Text Messages for Health Tips


The survey investigators studied 177 teens in a time period of one year to prepare the report. They explored that teens give preference to message content, style, format, origin and mode and frequency of message delivery.

Through the first test the researchers found that in the healthy lifestyle text messages sent to the teens from nutrition professionals, the teens liked an active voice that suggested specific achievable behaviors for the researchers.

Melanie Hingle is the lead author of the study from the University of Arizona, she said, “The ubiquity of mobile phone use among adolescents offers an engaging, youth-friendly avenue through which to promote healthy behaviours,” as per TOI.

This method of engaging teens in a ‘conversation’ demonstrated by the study is a new method to communicate with them regarding health does seem surprising by just using 160 characters or less.

Text messaging has also helped with assisting teens from suicidal instincts. As reported recently in Westfield since texting services were installed in the statewide hotline, it has got over 500 text messages mostly from teenagers and young adults. The youth feels more comfortable about texting their problem as text option adds to the anonymity and secrecy of their identity,  reported Julia Terruso for nj.com.

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