Texting among United States young adults: An exploratory study on texting and its use within families

• Participants are more able to honestly express feelings within texts.
• Participants text their families to convey information and plan activities.
• Many women report that texting has a positive impact on family relationships.
• Many women feel texting increases their connectivity with family members.
• Gendered communication patterns appear within texting.

The current study examines general text messaging tendencies, patterns of and reasons for texting family members, and the impact of texting on familial relationships among a young U.S. adult sample. Participants were recruited through Facebook; they then completed an online questionnaire. Data from 127 young adults (men: 38; women: 87; unidentified: 2) are analyzed and compared by gender. Findings suggest that young adults text at high rates per month. Participants generally report a prompt response to texts and their ability to honestly express feelings within these messages. Results also suggest participants text family members for a variety of reasons, such as to convey information, plan activities, and engage in general conversation. Distinct gender differences, however, are evident regarding who men and women text as well as texting's effects on familial relationships. Overall, these findings expand researchers’ understanding of texting in general and its impact within the family.