In this paper we focus on the use and coping mechanisms for text messaging.
The broader results from the interviews are reported in
[1]. Living in a foreign country our Swiss participants needed to
stay in touch with family and friends in their home countries.
Calling abroad was expensive and they often used internet cafes’
to make calls through special operators or VoIP which required
synchronizing with the called party to be at a place at a certain time.
Many regarded asynchronous communication such as SMS
as a convenient and cost-efficient alternative to stay in a touch.
As one woman whose daughter was living in Morocco stated: