National Public Radio's Morning Edition carried an interesting story on how survivors of the recent earthquake in Sezchuan Province have relied on text messenging to communicate with loved ones about their status in the aftermath of that terrible natural disaster.

According to the report several factors made texting the preferred method of personal communication during this public emergency, including technological, cultural, economic factors.

The report noted that texting uses much less battery charge than does voice communication, a key consideration during a natural disaster when opportunities to recharge one's battery may be slim. Additionally, the report notes that the Chinese seem to prefer texting. The story implied that this was in part culturally determined, but it also noted that texting costs about half the price of voice communication, and that text-only service plans are common, especially for students.

Here's the link to the audio file: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90425687.

It would be interesting to see if the same reliance on texting would be seen in other countries like the United States, Canada, and elsewhere. Would cultural or economic factors be more important than basic concerns over preserving battery life in other cultures? Would we expect that younger people would use texting more than older cell phone users?