• Is there such a thing as texting etiquette?

• Is texting still dangerous?

• Are there tricks to make texting a more beneficial experience?

The answer to all of these questions is YES. 

Texting has become an anxious experience. Especially since convenience has almost completely replaced context when it comes to texting. For example, we cannot see a person’s facial expression when they text or even hear their tone of voice. 

Texting is a form of communication with little human interaction. As a result, it’s easy for someone to read a text the wrong way or even fall victim to a scam by someone who isn’t who they say they are (or worse, a ROBOT). In 2020, the FCC received about 14,000 complaints related to robot texts. Yikes!

Furthermore, people can commonly make mistakes that they don’t mean to, resulting in fatal consequences such as breakups or the loss of a friend. If you think you might be bad at texting, the article below may help you.

Texting in 2022: A How-To

Knowing how to project and protect yourself the right way when texting is a very important skill to acquire in the current digital age. Texting isn’t likely going away as a popular form of communication anytime soon. Read on to learn how to successfully and safely text your way through the year 2022. 

Reread the Text BEFORE Sending

Texts are often written and dispatched quickly (possibly with a slew of acronyms and emojis), frequently leaving room for the receiver to question what the sender is trying to say. 

Texting gives minimal context cues to understand what a person is trying to communicate. All we can see is the phrases someone uses, without even the advantage of their handwriting, facial expressions, and tone of voice. Most text messages are incredibly low in context. 

To make a text message easier to understand:

Unless you are texting something simple such as asking your spouse to pick up milk, you should always reread what you texted before sending it. That way, the text receiver is less likely to take anything you sent out of context. Using clarity and compassion is always a great way to communicate, even while texting. 

Try to Respond Promptly

Suppose you are the type of person who doesn't respond right away to texts and prefers phone calls or face-to-face communication. In that case, you might have trouble with texting and find it unnecessary to be timely and thoughtful with your response. However, everyone communicates differently. Your friend who doesn’t like phone calls but occasionally will answer the phone for you deserves the same level of respect from you when it comes to texting. 

Not everyone shares personal preference when it comes to forms of communication, and you have to be open and willing to compromise when connecting. In fact, 95% of texts are read and responded to within three minutes of being received. As a result, more people than not enjoy texting as a form of communication. 

|Quick Tip: Responding promptly is also important in the dating world. Not texting a partner back when you can often make them feel like they aren’t a priority. Also, always make sure to text or call before going to bed. This will help prevent your partner from questioning your nightly activities when you are away. 

Don’t Text Too Much

We've all experienced it or have been the guilty party of texting too much or during inappropriate times. It’s not acceptable to be on your phone so much that you miss real human interactions or when it’s inappropriate. And actually, texting has become a dangerous habit. One in every FOUR teens admit to responding to texts while driving EVERY TIME THEY DRIVE. 

Just use your common sense- if you are at a place or time where texting is dangerous or inappropriate, don’t be glued to your phone. Additionally, texting while having a conversation with someone else is just rude. There are much more important things in life than staring at your phone unless it is an emergency. In that case, you might want to excuse yourself and give the person a call. 

It’s frustrating to have a loved one texting under the table or running into traffic because they NEED to check their phone constantly. Keep this in mind if you are tempted to act the same way. 

Be Weary of Unrecognized Numbers

I do not know anyone who HASN’T gotten a text from an unknown phone number within my social circle. Texts from unknown numbers could be potentially dangerous. 

If you get a text from an unknown phone number, we suggest not answering it. Or clicking any links that the text contains. Here’s why:

There are some very creative and sneaky text message scammers. For example, people are good at impersonating your loved ones or even big businesses like Best Buy or Amazon. And online dating scammers are known to prey on vulnerable single people through text messaging.  

We know that sometimes it's hard NOT to answer these texts. 

Some suggestions for when you open the text:

• If the link looks weird—just a random bunch of letters, numbers, and punctuation—it's probably a fake link. In general, opening links from unrecognized numbers is a risk for the text receiver. 

• If something sounds confusing or unusual, it's likely a scam.

• If someone claims to be a friend or relative, simply call that friend or relative and ask if they messaged you from another phone number.

• If you still aren’t sure what to do, you can use Wyty to search for the owner of the phone number. 

Don’t Text About Personal Matters

If something is important, try to find a more personal way to communicate. For example, texting someone that you are breaking up with them or that you ran over their dog is obviously poor etiquette. At the very least, you should give the person you are breaking some serious news to a call so they can better process the situation. 

Colleague Texting Etiquette 

If you use texting to message your coworkers, you should follow these major rules. 

• Ask their permission- Never text a coworker until you get their consent in person. 

• Try not to use emojis- Rarely are emojis acceptable in the workforce. However, it is OK to send an emoji to a coworker in some cases. Just use your common sense. 

• Text at the right time- In most situations, stick to texting during business hours. Additionally, avoid texting a coworker when you know they are swamped or aren’t at work (even if you are) unless it is really important. 

• Don’t get personal- Big no-no. It is almost always inappropriate to text your colleagues about your personal life. 

• Check your grammar and spelling- If you want to be taken seriously at work, don’t send a text before reviewing your spelling and grammar. In fact, it’s good to just read over it to make sure that it sounds professional overall. 

• Just be professional- Simple enough. 

Wrapping It Up

Texting is one of the quickest ways to communicate with anyone. However, some dangers and rules are important for anyone to learn and understand. Therefore, always be courteous and cautious when texting.