Britney Spears (R) and her husband Kevin Federline arrive for the Sony BMG Grammy Party in Los Angeles February 8, 2006. A video of Spears' soon-to-be ex-husband apparently getting a text message informing him that the pop princess had filed for divorce became the most viewed item on the YouTube Internet site on Thursday, with more than 1 million hits. REUTERS/Chris Pizzello

NEW YORK  - Ur dumped, Kevin Federline -- and you are now part of a growing club of spurned lovers who have been ditched by text message.

A video of Britney Spears' soon-to-be ex-husband apparently getting a text message informing him that the pop princess had filed for divorce became the most viewed item on the YouTube Internet site on Thursday, with more than 1 million hits.

The Web video shows Federline taping a reality television show and talking about Spears being his biggest fan -- until he gets a text message. Then he puts his head in his hands, rips off his microphone and disappears, returning 30 minutes later visibly upset.

Spears, 24, abruptly filed for divorce from fledgling rapper Federline this week after two years of marriage -- and two children -- while he was filming in Canada.

Experts on cell phone and text message use and etiquette said Federline was not the first to be dumped by text -- and certainly would not be the last with rising numbers of teen-ager and 20-somethings using text to avoid confrontation.

"People in their teens and 20s feel more comfortable using a text message to communicate something serious than having to confront someone," said Delly Tamer, chief executive of online wireless retailer LetsTalk.com, which researches phone use.

"It is instant gratification -- and delayed mortification. At some point they will have to yell at each other."

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