Spreading Wellness, One Text at a Time

It's amazing how technology has revolutionized the way we communicate. NPR did a feature story on text messaging the other day, and the reporter interviewed a group of teenage girls about their texting habits. During the interview -- literally, right in the middle of it -- one of the girls stopped to text. It's almost like an addiction.

Actually, "addiction" may not be an exaggeration. The New York Times reported recently that when college students stopped using all social media during a study, they showed signs of withdrawal similar to what a drug addict might feel.

While it's safe to say that most text messages lack substance (think LOL! and OMG!), they do reach people directly, wherever they are -- and that makes them a useful wellness tool. Some of our corporate clients use occasional text messaging to share health information with their employees.

When we work with groups that don't use computers, or simply don't respond well to emails, text messaging can be a great way to communicate. You have to keep it short -- 160 characters or less -- but that's good, in a way. It forces us to make every word count.

For those in the D.C. area: On Tuesday, May 11th at 9:00am, I'll be giving a free talk on enhancing the ROI of your wellness program. If you're interested in attending, email Liz Sobrino or call her at (301) 229-7555. A light breakfast will be served.