Texting has enabled us to enjoy the wonders of modern communication. Unfortunately, it has also proven to be a serious hazard for couples. One wrong move can cause many problems. Communication really is not easy.
We are going to discuss some of the common disputes couples have, not through mistakes, but by simple misunderstandings.
See how many of these disputes you recognize!
1. The Autocorrect Fail
Anyone who texts their boyfriend or girlfriend regularly knows the perils of the auto-correct feature. Don’t get us wrong, we know Apple and Samsung implemented it for good reason, but sometimes it can overstep the mark.
Autocorrect can cause many problems, such as changing your messages of love into insults, and unflattering comparisons you do not realize until the angry retort.
In addition, you try explaining that it was the phone that said it in the heat of the moment!
2. The Wrong Number
In the heat of a long texting session with multiple people, it does not take much to lose your train of thought and mistakenly text the wrong person.
Let’s say you’re talking to a guy friend and you’re talking about this hot celebrity. The harmless words “She’s pretty hot.” could go to your significant other. Cue lots of furious texting about who this other woman is.
3. Not Replying by Accident
A variation on the above example is sending a text to the wrong number and thinking you replied to your significant other. If you happen to be dating someone who takes these things seriously, it could enflame tensions.
Say you text a message of love to your lover, ten minutes later you are wondering why you are receiving abuse in return about how you never pay any attention.
A quick check and you realize you have just expressed your love to your mother. Now you also have another difficult family reunion to deal with.
4. Setting a Bad Trend
Texting is not like a face-to-face conversation. You are generally not expected to reply straightaway. The problem is when you do turn this into a habit the first time you don’t reply within seconds you’ve caused great offense.
This is something we all slip into, so if you are busy doing something else at the same time make it clear to your significant other this is what you are doing.
5. The Bad Joke
We all like to tell jokes. It’s a great way to break the ice. A good joke can soon turn into a bad joke if someone takes it the wrong way.
One of the drawbacks of texting is things like tone and sarcasm do not come through words well. Say you make a sarcastic comment about your girlfriend’s dress. Face-to-face this is a playful joke at her expense. With cold, hard words in text-based form, you have just sent her an insult.
Now you have a dispute caused by a joke gone wrong.
6. The Length of the Message
Some people like to send long, chatty replies. If you are dating someone like this, you’ve probably already made the mistake of not sending a long, chatty reply. When you do this out of character, you have essentially communicated the fact you are not interested.
In reality, the paragraph of death simply did not warrant a long reply. Good luck explaining that one.
Conclusion
Communication is hard, but as a couple, you know each other best. Establish some communication as to each other’s habits. When a random insult comes out of nowhere, it should be no problem if everyone involved realizes it’s a joke.
Successful texting is about getting through those difficult growing pains in the first months of dating.
Featured photo credit: Texting/Pixabay via pixabay.com
