Almost a fifth of young people have dumped a lover by text

Almost a fifth of young people admit to having ended a relationship by text message, while more women say 'I love you' via SMS than men, a new survey conducted for Valentine's Day has revealed.

The research, conducted by mobile messaging firm Acision, found that 53% of women have declared their love in a romantic text message, compared to 44% of men. Around a third (31%) of respondents also admitted to flirting via SMS with a prospective lover.

The most amorous texting age groups were the 18- to 25-year-olds and 26- to 34-year-olds, who were most likely to say 'I love you' via text, at 60% and 61% respectively. They were also amongst the most flirtatious, with almost half admitting to flirting via SMS (46%).

However, the 18-25 group were also the most likely to end their relationship via text, as around a fifth (18%) admitted to dumping their lover in an SMS.

In terms of multimedia messaging (MMS), the survey found that almost half (45%) of respondents who use/send MMS have done so for a special occasion like Valentine's Day, while more would do so if the messages were cheaper.

"The nation's passion for mobile technologies certainly seems to be paving the way for passionate communications with our loved ones," said Steven Van Zanen, the senior vice president of marketing & strategy at Acision.

"20 years ago a Valentine's Day card and a bunch of red roses was the most appropriate way to say 'I love you', however today it seems messaging is just as acceptable.

"It is, after all, the message, not the method that counts and the reliability, ubiquity, simplicity, affordability and instantaneous nature of SMS has cemented its popular appeal amongst lovers for showing just how we feel."

Acision commissioned independent research company Vanson Bourne to conduct the survey of 2,000 mobile device users across the UK and US.

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