Does traditional text message (SMS) have a future?

With social media platforms taking a huge bite of all distance communication, does SMS stand a chance of existing in the near unforeseeable future? This is a question that unfortunately most people failed to ask at this present time.

While text messaging is still possible on today’s smartphones, rarely anyone still use it as a primary means to communicate.

The social media frenzy have sweep people off their feet with plethora of features that does seem to make life easier, although not safer. People hardly send text messages these days.

I for one haven’t receive ten text messages this year, and I have friends that have not receive or send text messages this year at all.

WhatsApp has become the goto place for teenagers to communicate with their friends. The youths and adults are not left behind in using these social platforms in one way or the other as well.

But the truth is, SMS have something that today’s social media platforms can not openly boast of – privacy.

For one thing, traditional text message does not required active data connection, user account registration, and personal user information to use.

The text message service relied entirely on the network service provider, and there are no special requirements to use it – which makes it more secure than any other online social platforms out there.

Although a credit balance is required to send text messages, the fees are not much. Moreover, it cost zero amount to receive text message sent to your phone (the sender pays for the delivery).

With the advent of Twitter, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, WeChat, Telegram and the likes, people no longer use the more secured and more private traditional text message to communicate with others.

The future is dim – sooner or later, the curtain may be drawn on text message (SMS) with popular social networking sites taking its place.

Most Android phones now come pre-installed with WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, which is not surprising seeing that they are the apps most people use nowadays to text and to chat.

Google is not giving up though, at least not yet. Google-owned official text messaging app for Android called “Messages” (formally Android Messages) is still being updated on weekly basis in the Play Store.

With Android powering more than 80-percent of mobile phones in the world, this is a good news. It’s a sign that SMS is still regarded despite not being of much use to today’s smartphone users.

Do you still use traditional text message to communicate with your friends?