SMS dating rises in India, and inhibitions drop

Just to emphasize that you can never be sure what data services will pop up next, I thought I'd turn your attention to this report that mobile dating is picking up steam in India.

Apparently some Indian youngsters "find it easier to lose their inhibitions when writing things down," so carriers Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and Airtel have decided to capitalize on it.

According to this story from the Indo-Asian News Service, there are tens of thousands of teens and young adults signing up, especially now that cell phones are within reach for an expanding portion of the middle class – particularly through the second-hand phone market.

Look out for the culture clash: The church hasn't approved the mobile dating practice in the predominantly Christian state, and carriers claim they're being careful about verifying subscriber ages before letting them jump into the mobile "meet" market.