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It’s too annoying: Who drops out of educational text messaging programs and why

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  • Fricke, Hans
  • Kalogrides, Demetra
  • Loeb, Susanna

Abstract

Text-message programs are increasingly popular as low-cost interventions aimed at improving a variety of health and education outcomes. This study analyzes participant opt out decisions from a set of text messaging programs aimed at fostering parent–child interactions and improving school readiness. Exploiting random assignment of parents of young children to programs and rich data on text messages and recipients, we examine how program design and text and recipient characteristics predict program opt out. The results provide evidence that the text messaging programs reach the parents of traditionally less-resourced children and show that program design affects parent opt out. Programs that provide context and encouragement along with activities reduce opt out compared to programs that send activities alone. A high quantity of texts and more complex texts lead recipients to opt out at greater rates.

Suggested Citation

  • Fricke, Hans & Kalogrides, Demetra & Loeb, Susanna, 2018. "It’s too annoying: Who drops out of educational text messaging programs and why," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 39-43.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:173:y:2018:i:c:p:39-43
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2018.08.029
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Castleman, Benjamin L. & Page, Lindsay C., 2015. "Summer nudging: Can personalized text messages and peer mentor outreach increase college going among low-income high school graduates?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 144-160.
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    3. Peter Bergman, 2021. "Parent-Child Information Frictions and Human Capital Investment: Evidence from a Field Experiment," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 129(1), pages 286-322.
    4. Cortes, Kalena E. & Fricke, Hans & Loeb, Susanna & Song, David S., 2018. "Too Little or Too Much? Actionable Advice in an Early-Childhood Text Messaging Experiment," IZA Discussion Papers 11669, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Roland G. Fryer & Steven D. Levitt, 2004. "Understanding the Black-White Test Score Gap in the First Two Years of School," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 86(2), pages 447-464, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kalena E. Cortes & Hans D.U. Fricke & Susanna Loeb & David S. Song & Benjamin N. York, 2019. "When Behavioral Barriers are Too High or Low – How Timing Matters for Parenting Interventions," NBER Working Papers 25964, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Juanita Bloomfield & Ana Balsa & Alejandro Cid, 2023. "Using behavioral insights in early childhood interventions: the effects of Crianza Positiva e-messaging program on parental investment," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 95-130, March.
    3. Lenel, Friederike & Priebe, Jan & Satriawan, Elan & Syamsulhakim, Ekki, 2022. "Can mHealth campaigns improve CCT outcomes? Experimental evidence from sms-nudges in Indonesia," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    4. Doss, Christopher & Fricke, Hans & Loeb, Susanna & Doromal, Justin B., 2022. "Engaging girls in math: The unequal effects of text messaging to help parents support early math development," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    5. Jabbari, Jason & Roll, Stephen & Bufe, Sam & McKay, Jessica, 2022. "“Take my word for it”: Group Texts and Testimonials Enhance State and Federal Student Aid Applications," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 98(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Education; Experiments; Study attrition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I - Health, Education, and Welfare

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