Text messaging, also referred to as SMS (short Message Service) or simply "texting," is a feature available with practically all mobile phones, allowing people to send and receive short messages. Texting has certain advantages over other means of communication, in particular phone calls and email.
Discretion
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Text messaging allows you to communicate with others in situations where a face-to-face or phone conversation is not possible or appropriate-- during a meeting, for example. It can also come in handy when you don't want others to hear what you are saying.
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Recordkeeping
An SMS exchange that is saved on your phone is an excellent way to remind yourself at a later time about the contents of a conversation that you had. To remember what a phone conversation is about, you would need to write notes for yourself and worry about losing them later.
The same goes for situations in which you cannot get access to a pen and paper and you need to jot down important information. You can enter the information into a text message and then either send it to yourself or save it in the "Draft" folder on your phone. The information will be stored there until you choose to delete it.
Advantages over email
Sending an email from your laptop requires an Internet connection, but an SMS can be sent anywhere and anytime, as long as your phone has signal. A phone signal is easier to access than an Internet connection. In addition, a person is likely to check his phone more often than his computer. Not everyone carries a computer with him on the go, but almost everyone has their cell phone with them all the time. Your text message is likely to be read more quickly than an email would.
Misconceptions
Many would argue that you could just as easily send an email from your cell phone instead of a text message. However, an Internet subscription for your phone is often more expensive than activation of the SMS feature. In fact, only "smart phones," of which more well-known examples include the Blackberry and iPhone, offer the Internet access option. Text messaging, on the other hand, is available on even the most basic or older generation of phones.
Saving money
Text messaging also provides effective ways of reducing your cell phone bill. Sending a text is usually cheaper than making a voice call. Also, many people send text messages saying something along the lines of "Call me in 30 minutes on my home phone." In most cases, the land line conversation ends up being cheaper than a cell phone conversation.