Text-messaging cultures of college girls in Hong Kong: SMS as resources for achieving intimacy and gift-exchange with multiple functions

Abstract

Mobile text messaging, or variously known as SMS (short message service), text messaging, mobile e-mail, or texting, has become a common means of keeping in constant touch, especially among young people in many parts of the world today. The research literature abounds with studies on the social, cultural, linguistic and communicative aspects of mobile text messaging in different sociocultural contexts in the world. However, almost all of these studies have been conducted outside of Hong Kong. Below we shall provide a preliminary literature review of earlier studies related to SMS. Then we shall present our pilot qualitative study. In the findings and discussion section, we shall interpret the findings in light of the relevant research literature.