Texting

[Page 1032]Texting, or short message service, refers to the act of creating and sending brief electronic messages from one mobile phone to another. It is a widely used mobile data service, as the majority of all mobile phone users worldwide actively use short message service as a form of communication. However, as with other technological advances, there are drawbacks to texting. Texting poses privacy and surveillance concerns because the mobile device used to text can also be used to locate individuals, to monitor their activity, and to make public personal information that was not meant to be shared. This entry briefly reviews the uses and drawbacks of texting.