5 Texting Etiquette Rules People Break All The Time

Being able to pick up your phone and instantly send a message through text can be exceptionally handy. In fact, we'd argue it's one of the best parts of having access to a smartphone, because it opens up room for more communication with those you care about, even if you can't take a call at that exact moment.

Many of us likely send dozens of texts or direct messages a day, thanks to the growing list of instant messaging apps that have come and gone. While we're chatting away with friends through text, it can be easy to forget that just because texting is easy to do, doesn't mean it's always easy to get your proper intentions across.

In fact, the way that you type, how often you respond, whether you use the right emoji or not, and a slew of other things can actually lead to the reader taking different cues from the conversation. That's why it's important to always keep some of the more basic rules of texting etiquette in mind when you're sending messages back and forth.

Whether you're texting a family member or friend, or simply chatting with someone you met at the office last week, there's bound to be a time when the conversation either gets uncomfortable, you get busy, or you just don't feel like responding for some reason or another. Over the years, the act of just not responding has become popular — so popular in fact, that it has its own name: ghosting.

While some may argue there are times when ghosting is the best option, the fact of the matter is many of us might even do it without realizing. When that happens, not only do we leave the other person in an awkward situation, but if it's something work-related, we might even leave a client hanging when they really need a response.

Instead, you should try to remember to cut off conversations if they get awkward, even if your response is just something short but to-the-point like "sorry, I've become really busy. I'll let you know when I can talk again." This lets the other person know that they shouldn't expect any further responses, at least for the immediate future, and then you can figure out how to proceed.

Our smartphones have become such a big part of our lives, and texting is a great way to keep in touch with people. While it might not sound all that important — we've all likely been guilty of it at some point — pulling your phone out and texting other people while you're spending time with your partner or someone else can actually be really bad etiquette.

There are times when you might need to respond to a message really quickly, and that's fine. But if you go out to dinner with someone, or you're hanging out and catching up, don't just sit there texting other people during the event. Not only will you miss out on the moment before you, but it could also make whoever you're with feel like they aren't important enough for you to focus on them. Additionally, researchers note it could also lead to other relationship problems, especially if it happens between romantic partners.

Of course, as mentioned before, there are times where texting others while you're spending time with someone makes sense. As such, you shouldn't rule it out entirely. But, if you know you're going to be spending time with another person in a situation where you're meant to be focusing on each other and the moment that you're spending together, keep your phone in your pocket and let others know beforehand that you might not be reachable for a bit. There's also an argument to be made about putting your phone down and taking a break from it overall, and spending time with loved ones can be a great opportunity for that.

One of the hardest things to get across in text conversations is tone. While there are words and emoji that can help others understand what you mean, it's also entirely possible to say something and have someone take it a completely different way than you intended. Researchers believe a lot of this comes down to social anxiety, and how our minds perceive ambiguous text messages.

That's why it's important to always say exactly what you mean, and be explicit when texting. This helps avoid misunderstandings that might crop up if you're too vague, and is a good way to make sure you're not having to re-explain what you just said.

This is important across all forms of text-based communication, and sometimes can be as easy as making sure you use the right emoji to backup the comments you make, or even using shorthand like "lol" to help denote a joke. For example, if you're meant to have dinner with someone but can't make it, telling them why is a good way to help alleviate any misunderstandings. Even if the message is a simple "I can't make it because work ran long and I'm exhausted," that's one less opportunity for someone to think something that you didn't intend.

We've likely all seen movies where the character onscreen goes to a bar, has a few drinks, and then decides to text a friend or their partner. While not in a clear state of mind, they say something off the wall, which leads to a misunderstanding that's played up for comedic or dramatic effect. While these scenes might sound like amusing stories after the fact — and make for funny or interesting moments onscreen — it's actually best to avoid drinking and texting.

The reason for this is simple. It's already difficult enough to tell tone, intention, and meaning from the text on a smartphone screen, and when you start adding in the lack of inhibition that drinking brings, it becomes much harder for you to get your point across effectively.

This might lead to misunderstandings, saying something you don't mean, or other issues that can come back to haunt you long after the alcohol is out of your system. This also happens to be a pretty common rule of using your phone as well, so if you've been drinking maybe just leave your phone on the nightstand and take a look at it later, once you've sobered up.

This next lapse of texting etiquette is another we've increasingly seen happen since texting became something almost everyone does. Whether you're breaking up with someone, reporting about someone getting hurt, or just passing along any kind of bad news, it's usually not a great idea to do it over text.

Not only is it difficult to convey the proper emotional weight to the news you're sharing, but you also have to take into account the other person's negative bias and the effect that the news being shared might have on their mental and emotional state.

Texting can feel super impersonal, and picking up the phone or even talking to them face-to-face can be a better way to help avoid any opportunity for the person receiving the news to misunderstand anything, while also giving them a proper opportunity to register it and respond.