Stay Classy: Texting Etiquette

Texting is something that has become a main part of our daily communication. I probably text my friends and family more than I actually speak with them on the phone. These days, I really only place a call when I need an immediate answer from someone or the explanation of what I’m trying to communicate will simply take too long over text.

Texts are expedient, unlimited, (unfortunately addicting), and a nice way to reach out to someone without feeling like you may be reaching them at a bad time. The recipient can always get back to you when it’s convenient for them…. (which will most likely be within five minutes).

As fantastic as texting is, there are, of course, a handful of little guidelines and text-iquette suggestions that can help keep the lines of SMS communication flowing smoothly.

The obvious offenders here:

• Similar to email, texts have no tone of voice. Sarcasm and dry humor will most certainly be lost on your recipient.
• Don’t text while you’re in the middle of a person to person conversation. It communicates to the party you’re speaking with that whatever they have to say takes a back seat to your text conversation.
• Don’t text while driving. Not only is it not safe, it can land you a driving ticket worth a pretty penny.
• Don’t use text to communicate serious news and information. Topics off limits include: Formal invitations, life announcements, or dumping anyone. The casualness of SMS diminishes the importance of your message.

Other suggestions you may want to consider:

• If you’ve had an ongoing conversation via text with someone, consider sending a wrap up message. Something as simple as “Sounds good, let’s touch base about this in a day…” or whatever might be appropriate in context. This can help communicate to the other party that you putting a period on the conversation for now.
• Leave the slang to the kids. I know someone who is a huge offender with this. Unfortunately, we exchange a lot of texts back and forth. More often than not, it takes me longer to figure out what they meant to say and I just end up calling for an explanation.
• Don’t get upset if you don’t get an immediate reply. Remember, by texting you’re setting the urgency of a response low. The recipient will think it’s OK to get back to you when they can.

Finally, as hard as it may sound, don’t be afraid to turn your phone off from time to time. There are very few things in life that can’t wait a couple hours for a response. I’ve even considered taking a “texting and social Sabbath” … one day a week where I rest and completely remove myself from non-personal interaction. Though this may sound a little extreme to some of you, think of the things you may be able to accomplish during this time. Coffee with an old friend, volunteer, attack the spring cleaning, take a long walk with the dog… the ideas are endless, and we may just find that texting is best used to enhance personal communication, not replace it.