A Look into SMS Usage Patterns among Malaysian Youths

Abstract

This article reports findings from a study in which a total of 110 youths were interviewed to analyze the overall pattern of Short Message Service (SMS) usage among Malaysians. Structured interview questionnaires were used to collect the required data. The selected respondents were between 17 and 25 years old, an age category that has proven to represent the most active SMS users worldwide. Descriptive statistics including frequencies and mean values were used to analyze the data. The results indicate that Malaysian youths are as active SMS users as youths in other countries, with the majority sending between five to seven messages daily. As for gender differences, females are found to be more actively involved in SMS activities compared to the males. The findings should prove interesting for those examining the use of SMS among the younger users, especially in an Asian country such as Malaysia.