Dating Style

Top 5 Texting Guidelines

By the Honest Despot

If you are single and dating then chances are you’re already a texting pro, but are you making embarrassing cell phone mistakes without knowing it?  Here are my top 5 texting don’ts for the serious dater:

1. Never, ever text while on a date unless there is an actual health or life emergency going down.  It’s comforting to reach for the cell phone during an awkward moment of silence, but you risk sending a signal to your date that you’d rather be doing something or someone more interesting.    
2.  Don’t try to be funny or sarcastic in a text unless you’re contacting someone that knows you well.  “What the f do you want beeeeach?” may go over harsh, instead of as comedy genius.   
3.  Texting late night is a no-no if you aren’t sure the person you’re trying to reach is spending time with someone else or sleeping.  Many people are so plugged into their cell phones that they keep them close to the bedside.  Getting a late night text from someone you barely know can be annoying when you’re trying to sleep and almost always will be interpreted as a shout out for a late night booty call.  “Aww, it’s Stephanie texting me at 11:30pm, hmmmm, she wants me!” 
4.  Don’t send half naked or nude pix of yourself to someone you want to date.  Sexy photos should be saved for those who have earned a place of trust in your life.  Unless you’re a porn star trying to land a new gig, sexts spell out low self esteem and signal that you are so desperate for attention you will hand over the goodies with little or no effort on the receiver’s part.  Leave something to the imagination; send a nice face photo or pic of you hanging out with friends, but hold back the sexy stuff for someone who deserves you. 
5.  Text bombing is for losers.  Sending someone text messages faster than he or she can respond makes the sender seem over anxious and is not cool.   If you don’t get an immediate reply text, then wait a few hours or a day before sending a follow-up.  It’s possible the person you’re trying to reach is away from the cell, has the power or ringer off or just doesn’t want to communicate for a while.  Once you’ve sent a follow-up text and still haven’t received a reply then one phone call is acceptable.   Rather than look like a fiend, be patient, wait for a reply or move on!  Don’t waste time chasing someone who isn’t that into you when your perfect match is still out there somewhere waiting to bump into you.  

 *Remember these are dating guidelines and don’t apply to business opportunities or sales contacts, cases in which fiending is the norm. 

Dating isn’t rocket science, so keep it simple and have fun, but remember that bad cell phone behavior at the start of a relationship sets the tone for what’s to come later. 


**All copyrights reserved by the Honest Despot.  2011