Company
Date Published
Author
Meghan Murphy
Word count
99
Language
English
Hacker News points
None

Summary

The text message, also known as Short Message Service (SMS), has a rich history dating back to the early 20th century when Alexander Graham Bell invented the first wireless telegraphy system in 1895. The modern SMS system was developed in the 1980s and became widely available in the 1990s with the introduction of digital mobile phones, such as the Motorola DynaTAC. The first SMS message was sent over a cellular network in 1992 by Neil Papworth to demonstrate the feasibility of text messaging. Since then, the popularity of SMS has grown exponentially, with billions of messages exchanged daily around the world. In 2008, American Idol generated 78 million SMS votes, highlighting the significant role of text messaging in modern communication. The rise of social media and messaging apps like Telegram and WhatsApp has led to a decline in traditional SMS usage, but it remains an essential means of communication for many people, especially in areas with limited internet access.