Much has changed since St. Valentine sent the first valentine.

If he were living in the 21st century, St. Valentine might have sent his lover a cell phone text message.

Text messaging’s popularity has grown with the popularity of cell phones. Although text messaging is not new, it is one of the trendier features in cellular calling plans. Text messaging has evolved from plain text to a combination of sounds, images and video.

During St. Valentine’s Day, the rising popularity of text messaging may eclipse the traditional card or phone call.

In Great Britain, 60 million mobile phone users are expected to send their Valentine’s Day wishes via text messages, according to Reuters.

The calculation is based on the 57 million from a year before, according to the Mobile Data Association.

Compared to the traditional letter or card, these messages are faster, cheaper and easier to send. However, traditionalists argue text messaging is impersonal, shallow and lacks sentimentality.

Senior marketing major Lindsay Senn said, “I think it’s too informal. For friends, I guess it’s OK, but for a significant other a card is so necessary.”

Junior marketing major Laura Esposito understands why some people use text messaging to tell their significant other how much they care.

“If it was something more casual, not necessarily for someone I was dating,” Esposito said. “I want something personal, like a letter.”

According to the Greeting Card Association, Valentine’s Day is the second largest card-sending holiday behind Christmas. An estimated 1 billion cards are sent every year.

Senior accountancy major Andrea Drott, a sales associate at Hallmark, can speak for the cards’ popularity.

“It progressively gets busier after Christmas for Valentine’s Day stuff,” she said. “The three days before are usually the busiest.”

Pope Gelasius officially declared St. Valentine’s Day to be celebrated on Feb. 14 about 498 A.D. The oldest valentine letter in existence today comes from Charles, the Duke of Orleans, sent to his wife in 1415 while imprisoned in the Tower of London.

Contemporary Valentine’s Day celebrations started in the 17th century in Great Britain.

As the years went by, the holiday’s popularity grew and is commonly commemorated by exchanging letters and tokens of affection.

The first American mass-produced greeting cards were manufactured in the mid-19th century.

Although many greeting card companies offer free e-greetings on their Web sites, no significant shifts in card demand was noticeable.

The importance of mobile phones and the demand for them has increased significantly over the years. Text messaging may be used by those who are far away and don’t have the time or money to send a traditional valentine.