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- Mobile Text Survey
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Key Findings and Grades - Mobile Text Survey
Texting - Using Technology to Sample Youth Attitudes
Originally, the Youth Leadership Council wanted to complement this report with a public opinion poll about attitudes of youth toward elections and civic participation. However, due to cost and other factors, it couldn’t be done. Most polling companies have a hard time reaching youth. Typically, they don’t include people under 18 in polls. And even if they did, many young people use cell phones rather than landlines. This means youth are not usually included in the traditional public opinion research that is used to shape policy and investment decisions. The Council contacted Vancouver-based airG (www.airg.com) – a global leader in powering mobile communities and wireless social networking – to see if they could help. They agreed to donate some time and resources. AirG issued a five-question poll by text to its 15- to 24-year-old clients in the 604 and 778 area codes. The results were dramatic – more than 3,000 replies were received in a single day.
Results
The airG poll asked youth to consider the following five statements on political and civic participation. Percentage represents youth who agreed or strongly agreed.
- Voting in elections is important - 66%
- Youth have the power to make a positive difference in their community - 70%
- It’s important to volunteer in political or social causes - 69%
- Youth issues are a priority for political leaders - 72%
- Youth and young adults have less power than adults in decisions that impact their lives - 60%
Overall, youth shared a positive outlook on the importance of voting, and their ability to make a difference.
Limitations
The results of the airG poll are not considered scientific, as airG users are not a random sample of the general youth population. It was unable to capture additional demographic information on respondents. The text survey also only included the opinions of airG users who cared enough to text a vote.
What We Really Learned
The poll received responses from a lot of young people. Fast. Two things that most researchers didn’t know how to do. Youth can be reached, and are willing to share their opinions. It just helps to use their preferred communication tools. Mobile phone technology offers untapped potential as a public opinion research tool.