It's a modern marvel of the mobile phone industry. Predictive text has, no doubt, made it quicker and easier to communicate with those around us.
However, the very tool designed to help bring us closer together appears to be driving a wedge between some mobile phone users and their nearest and dearest.
The technology behind predictive text has become so advanced it is resulting in embarrassing miscommunication leaving users, at best, a little red-faced and, at worst, with some serious explaining to do.
The latest submissions to the DamnYouAutoCorrect website show how the simple predictive text misspelling of the words 'at Pam's' resulted in a very awkward conversation between one woman and her boyfriend.
Instead of typing 'We need to spend some time at Pam's' user 'Jenni' mistakenly texted: 'We need to spent some time apart', prompting a furious reply from her partner.
Modern mobile phones come with a built-in dictionary which enables them to predict what word a user wants from only a few key presses.
For this reason, phones can often predict a completely random word - often with hilarious results.
On a more serious note, a study in 2009 study found predictive text messaging changes the way children's brains work and makes them more likely to make mistakes generally.
Scientists said the system trains young people to be fast but inaccurate.
They claim this makes them prone to impulsive and thoughtless behaviour in everyday life.
Previous research has shown that predictive texting makes people sloppy when it comes to spelling, with many flummoxed by words such as questionnaire, accommodate and definitely.
For most phone users though predictive texting is a source of convenience, and considerable amusement.
Source – Daily Mail
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