The interview:

You were born in South Africa in 1983 and say that, when you received your first huge mobile phone, you instantly realised the possibility of new technology of text messaging as the ultimate dating tool. Did it have text messaging at that point and as your book no doubt outlines, but for the benefit of foreign readers here, how did your love of texting arise?

IT DID HAVE TEXT messaging! And it was all for free at that stage as they wanted to get people addicted. I could text blokes and not be embarrassed about flirting with them. It was great!

Text messaging has taken all but France and the US by storm. Seriously - do you see a role for it going even further than the following snippets indicate:

# In the UK alone there are 52 million mobile phone users who send about 2.3 billion text messages a year.

# A study at the University of Bath found that texting was the preferred medium for flirting and arranging dates. 62% of females compared to 52% of males are comfortable arranging a first date by text.

# Professor Helen Haste says: "Texting is replacing speech for much communication among young people. It is immediate, accessible, private and gives them unprecedented control over how they communicate with friends and family."

# The staff at Wolverhampton University are now sending students revision tips, timetables, appointment times and coursework feedback using mobile phone texting.

# Base 25 is a Wolverhampton charity offering advice on relationships and health issues. They use texting to communicate with their audience.

# Texting has also been used as a cry for help. A potential suicide
victim not wanting to talk, sends a text instead.

# Keith Grammar school is using texting to provide parents with regular updates on pupil's progress. Rector John Aitken said the intention is to praise positive attitudes to work or behaviour but it will also be used to highlight any problems.

# Short messages are particularly popular amongst young urbanites. Despite the low cost to the consumer, the service is enormously profitable to the service providers.

# The most frequent SMSers are found in south-east Asia. Europe follows next. Curiously France has not taken to SMSing in the same way. In the US, SMS is even more limited.

# SMS Chat involves sending short messages to a phone number, and the messages would be shown on TV a while later.

What are the possibilities, as you see them?

I think texting is a great way to send short messages - I am getting texts to confirm appointments, work meetings, etc. It will just keep growing!

Do you think you've contributed to the spread of SMS in the US and have you any plans to assist in France?

Doesn’t apply to me. My book is only from Australia.

Sam, you attended Masada College, graduating in 2001. This is a non-orthodox Jewish school and I also taught for three years at a Jewish school. Did any cultural questions arise for you while you were there?

The fact that I didn't really get to meet others outside of the community. That's why I am so glad now that I have the opportunity to meet people from all over Australia thanks to the blog and book.

The University of Technology Sydney Journalism degree was next and did you have only embryonic ideas at that point about your future direction or was it already up and running?

It was all up and running! TV was the first goal, so I started work experience at Channel Ten the day I finished school. My love for Sex and the City came next, a stint in New York gave me the idea for the column and online was exploding in Australia so it was the perfect match.

Your CV is very impressive indeed. At 21 you were one of the youngest writers signed in Australia, by Pluto, with Luv n' Text: The Secrets of Text Appeal (2005) that explores the role of mobile phones and SMS in modern relationships.

You say you decided to write the book after being approached by a number of friends about mobile phone etiquette but for the benefit of budding writers who'd like to do similar things - how did you actually go about it?

Actually I was very lucky, a publisher approached me to write it.

What are your major concerns about mobile etiquette? What precisely do you mean by mobile etiquette anyway?

Like with any new technology, people need to learn how to navigate it. Especially when it is defining romantic relationships. I feel Mobile etiquette needs to be addressed in terms of WHEN it is OK to use it (never at lunch or a dinner date, never while you're talking to someone else, not to quit your job, dump a guy or say something mean to someone else.)

You completed internships at Ten, Sky News, Seven, Marie Claire, Sydney City and Nine to Five, where you had your weekly fashion column. You gained a spot on Fox News; then came the internship at Fox News Channel in New York, selected from a thousand applicants and working as a TV presenter on Channel 31. After meeting countless celebrities, you returned to Sydney. Why ever would you do that?

Why would I return? I had to finish my uni degree!!!!!! Ha ha ha; plus it's easier to get where I want to go here as it's a friendlier media market.

Your freelance career was then in full swing, writing for the Sydney Morning Herald, The Sun Herald, Cosmopolitan, Vogue, Vogue Girl, New Woman, the Sunday Telegraph, 9to5, and you also presented on radio 2SER.

You're also known as a public speaker for the Miss Teen Australia pageant, you helped launch Nokia mobile's new L'amour Fashion collection with a speech, presentation and dating workshop. You're currently the face of the Head and Shoulders Dating Survey campaign. Your regular blog "Sam and the City" appears in Sydney and Melbourne. Now, you're currently studying law.

Phew! This is a double barrelled question. Firstly, why law, as distinct from, say, economics? Is it your gift of persuasion?

Why law? Because I love writing and am interested in the legal system as it is the basis for everything we do and the way our country runs. But my gift is actually in economics! I studied 4 unit maths.

Secondly, of all the fields you've tried [and I've also tried countless fields over the years], which were the most ultimately satisfying? In other words, what direction do you feel most comfortable with after the early 20s?

I love television and radio, appealing to an audience, directly talking to listeners and affecting people's lives with my blog. So many people have found happiness and relationships over the blog that its very rewarding for me as a writer.

The travel writer, Bill Bryson, was asked his dream of heaven on earth and he replied, 'Blank spaces in my diary.' Do you schedule free time for yourself? Do you need it? How much sleep do you get? How does your boyfriend feel about your lifestyle?

I do not get much sleep! It's been an average of 3 hours the past few nights. My friends don't quite understand why I am so busy, and yet I love every moment of it!

Outside of your work, have you any altruistic plans, such as Bill Gates' and Bill Clinton's embracing of AIDS? Is there any special direction you're running around in your head just now?

I have assisted Variety children's charity, National Breast Cancer foundation and Careflight. I am passionate about helping others and putting their message across.

What are your pet loves, e.g. dogs, horses, dancing? My own is sailing, as is apparent if you look at my site.

Yes I know! I would love to sail too. I have a shitzu - Cookies and Cream is her name.

How do you deal with the countless proposals from men and are they important to you?

Proposals ie. questions on dating are very important to me. Proposals for dates ? Very flattering!
As I see different countries visiting this site, I have to admit it's a thrill. What gives you the greatest thrill in your work?

When people write that my blog has changed their life. One couple have met on the blog and the lady is now pregnant. Ahhh...

Last double-barrelled question - are you fiercely protective of your private life and how many hours sleep do you get each night?

Yes - very protective of my private life. Again 3 hours sleep!

Sam, thanks so much for sparing the time today.

Thanks James. All the best!!


Samantha Brett [Sam and the City]

http://www.samanthabrett.com/
http://blogs.smh.com.au/samandthecity (Sydney)
http://blogs.theage.com.au/samandthecity (Melbourne)