> This is such a weirdly US specific issue. It's hard to understand why people in this country refuse to adopt a data-based messaging service
It makes sense if you look at the history.
For various reasons, the US was late to the party on text messaging at all. I remember back in ~2002, traveling the world and discovering people used SMS, when back home in the US it didn't really exist, at least not between different carriers.
BUT internationally, text messages were also often expensive, a few might add up to the price of a coffee.
So, as soon as data plans became a thing, it was a no-brainer for everyone internationally to switch to data-based messaging (like WhatsApp) -- it could save you like a hundred dollars a month.
On the other hand, when carriers in the US sorted out compatibility issues and SMS's became a thing later on, it was generally unlimited on most monthly plans. So people in the US never switched from SMS to data messaging because there was no financial incentive to do so, like there had been around the world.
Seen in this light, it shouldn't be hard to understand at all. It's all about whether SMS's were expensive or free when data plans became popular.
And so for most people in the US most of the time, SMS does everything you need, so why on earth would you go download a separate app? Nobody's "refusing", they're just following the path of least friction and getting on with their day.
It makes sense if you look at the history.
For various reasons, the US was late to the party on text messaging at all. I remember back in ~2002, traveling the world and discovering people used SMS, when back home in the US it didn't really exist, at least not between different carriers.
BUT internationally, text messages were also often expensive, a few might add up to the price of a coffee.
So, as soon as data plans became a thing, it was a no-brainer for everyone internationally to switch to data-based messaging (like WhatsApp) -- it could save you like a hundred dollars a month.
On the other hand, when carriers in the US sorted out compatibility issues and SMS's became a thing later on, it was generally unlimited on most monthly plans. So people in the US never switched from SMS to data messaging because there was no financial incentive to do so, like there had been around the world.
Seen in this light, it shouldn't be hard to understand at all. It's all about whether SMS's were expensive or free when data plans became popular.
And so for most people in the US most of the time, SMS does everything you need, so why on earth would you go download a separate app? Nobody's "refusing", they're just following the path of least friction and getting on with their day.