I’m Loving It: Indian Youth And SMS

Over a billion text messages are sent every month by India’s 56 million mobile phone subscribers. SMS is especially popular with young people for whom the mobile phone is a welcome and private channel of communication with members of the opposite sex. Especially important in a country where ‘dating’ still does not enjoy widespread parental sanction.

The soaring popularity of SMS has inspired 52 year old musician Remo Fernandes to compose a pop track: ‘Love on SMS’ in his new album. In the video, Remo plays a Pied Piper kind of character who helps a young boy fumbling to declare his love for a girl. Remo hands him a cellphone and tells him "SMS is the way to do it."

The video is being premiered – where else – but on a mobile phone.

Contributed by Rashmi Bansal