Baskadia

Texting can be a great way to keep in touch. It is such a common way of communicating that it's easy to forget that it has some very serious limitations when it comes to conveying the finer points of human interaction.

Texting is not a good medium for resolving conflict. Text messages lack tone of voice, facial expressions, and inflection. This leaves the reader to interpret what you've said in their own way and therefore, the meaning of your words can get lost.

You could be being sarcastic, but without the inflection in your voice, they may not get that. You could be being direct, but without facial expressions and tone of voice, they might feel you are being rude.

For example, if I you text your partner "OK," they might think you are annoyed or uninterested because it sounds short or abrupt. In reality, you might just be saying "OK" to confirm that you understand or you are agreeing to what they said.

Another example, say you've had an argument with your boyfriend/girlfriend and decided to text them saying "I hate you." They might receive this message and automatically assume you're being serious. They might even reply with "I hate you too" and then not speak to you for a week, leaving you wondering where everything went wrong … until you manage to convince them you were being sarcastic all along!

This can be hard to remember when you're upset, but it's important.