According to new research by mobile messaging company Tekelec, 60% of those over 45 were found to be just as likely to use SMS as they were to make voice calls from their mobile device. The survey of 500 people in North America and Europe also found that text messaging is gaining on email as the preferred means of daily international communication, with 32% of responses across all ages preferring SMS, compared to 33% for email. And nearly a third of respondents said their use of SMS would increase in 2010.

They strike fear into the hearts of the most seasoned swimmers and surfers, and can empty a beach in minutes, but the fearsome great white shark could finally have met its match in the form of a humble text message.

58% of Americans now have a mobile phone with web connectivity.