How to trust a mobile message

            According to the article, "Mobile Mistrust: Are Texters Cheaters?" a recent study found that college students trust text messages less than all other forms of communication, such as phone calls, video chats, and face-to-face conversations. The study also identified that 35% of teens admit to using their mobile phones to cheat on a test, while one in five students admitted to taking pictures of questions with their phone to cheat on a test. 

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              These cheating techniques may be factors that leads to not trusting text messages. While this is significant for education, I also think this is important for public relations. Although cheating on a cell phone has serious repercussions for education, the study previously noted demonstrates how college students do not trust text messages when compared to other forms of communication. This is an important factor when identifying a target audience for a company or campaign. If the main target audience is college students, companies may want to take into consideration this new study. Maybe using text messaging isn't the greatest tactic to display the key messages in a campaign.
             This brings me to one of my other favorite topics, mobile media. Because college students value accessibility and convenience, companies can use mobile media rather than text messages to reach their key audiences. Mobile media through applications is a phenomenal way to build relationships and establish trust with most users, especially college aged students. I cannot speak for every college aged student but I do know that sometimes receiving text messages from a campaign or company can feel more like propaganda rather than a conversation. By offering an accessible mobile application, students can explore and engage with the campaign on their own terms. Do you agree?

I'd love to hear your thoughts!