Texting is probably the easiest and most convenient way to communicate, but there’s a serious downside: there are a lot more opportunities to send something you’ll regret. Here are just a few you’ll probably end up regretting:
- Drunken booty calls to your ex Waking up in the morning with a throbbing headache is never fun, but it’s definitely a lot worse if you go to check your phone and find that you propositioned your ex at 2 am. It’s hard to say what’s more humiliating — if he responded and said no thanks or if he just ignored you completely.
- Drunken pleas to get back together Trying to hook up is bad enough, but sad, drunken pleas to get back together with an ex are even worse. Not only is midnight on a Saturday the worst time to try to have a conversation like that, but doing it while drunk just makes you seem unstable. If you don’t trust yourself not to text him when you’re drinking, delete his number or just leave your phone at home.
- Nudes to the guy you’ve only met once You know the guys that can barely wait until after the first date to start sending dirty texts. Even if you’re into that kind of thing, you have to be careful about who you send naughty pictures to. Maybe suggestive would be better than full nude, and it’s probably a good idea to keep your face out of them — you know, for plausible deniability purposes.
- Passive-aggressive comments you know will start a fight It might be difficult to hold in your irritation at someone until you see the offender in person, but it’s for the best. You never know how your comment is going to come across, and it might make things a lot worse. Resist the urge to make a smart-ass comment; if you need to have a fight (and sometimes you do), just do it in person.
- Double/triple/quadruple texts without a response It’s infuriating when a guy doesn’t respond to your texts in a timely manner, and it’s straight-up torture to watch the seconds tick by thinking he’s definitely ghosting you this time. But texting him incessantly isn’t going to help — in fact, it will actually hurt, especially if it turns out he had a legitimate reason for not responding.
- “We’re done.” Not only does this sound overly dramatic, but you don’t break up with someone over text, unless you were never actually official and you’re genuinely afraid for your safety. Otherwise, saying “we’re done” in a text reeks of a desperate attempt to get him to beg you to stay. If you don’t want to break up, don’t say it. And definitely don’t say it in a text.
- “I miss you.” The classic out-of-the-blue “I miss you” text. You’ve probably been on both ends of one of these at some point in your life. It’s even worse if you send it in the middle of the night. Not only are you giving your ex the satisfaction of knowing you can’t stop thinking about him, but you’re also giving him the power to hurt you again. All he has to do is not respond and you’re going to feel even worse than you did before you sent that ill-advised text.
- “I love you.” There’s nothing wrong with saying the L-word in a text — but only if it’s already been established in person and it’s a mutual thing. Saying you love someone for the first time should ideally happen while sober, in person. Just think how you’ll feel if you get no response. *Shudder*
- Literally anything to your ex’s new girlfriend. It’s pretty safe to say that she doesn’t want to hear from you, and frankly, you’re just going to look like a crazy person for trying to contact her. What reason could you possibly have? He’s moving on, so don’t be that girl that just has to stick her nose where it doesn’t belong.
- Rude comments in a group chat. If you’re having issues with someone in your friend group, ranting and raving about her in a group text thread is a terrible idea. Not only is everything you say in frustration going to be in writing for people to pass around, forward to others, and screen shot, but you don’t really know if people are nodding along with all you grievances or thinking you’ve officially lost it.
