"Heyy"
(sent 49 minutes ago)
Among the many pet peeves I have, this is probably the most logical one. I genuinely do not understand when people text like this, especially when you are texting someone you are not usually in regular contact with. Clearly, you have something to say, or ask, so just... ask it or say it. Why kill the recipient with the anxiety of trying to figure out what the communication is about?
What is even worse though, is when you receive a text from an unknown number with absolutely no context at all... "Hi". That's it. Nothing else. Just, "Hi". How do I know if this is someone I used to know, should know, or don't want to know? Even scammers do better; they at least ask if I want a job right off the bat!
I once got a text from an unknown number... "Hi". I ignored it thinking whoever it is will either introduce themselves or its just not that important. The audacity of this person became apparent when the next day he texts.. "R u der", like I owe him a response to his completely out of context "Hi". And the minute I saw that message, I knew it was a man, because I have rarely ever come across a woman with that much arrogance as to expect a response to a stupid text in the first place. Mind you, this was a guy who had gotten my number from some matrimonial website and was texting me to establish first contact. I had to ask him who he was and how he got my number to glean this tidbit of information.
If you fall into this category and think, oh the least the other person can do is respond, then I have news for you. No one owes you a response to what seems like a half hearted attempt to reach out. "But what if its important?" Well you should have provided context then, especially if it is someone you are texting for the first time. I am a hundred percent more likely to respond to a text that says "Hey, I am abc, I got your number from xyz" than a simple "Hi". If you are texting me to just catch up, tell me that in your text. A simple, "Heyy, I just thought of you so I texted you. What's up, how is it going?" is going to elicit a response much faster than an out of the blue "Heyy", which honestly, I might never respond to, if my people pleasing tendencies were throttled.
Of course this doesn't apply to people who are close to me or those that I talk to on an at least semi regular basis, but even there, isn't it just much better to say more than "Hey" and then go AWOL? To people who learnt the art of texting during the limited SMSes per day era, every character mattered. Where is the enterprising creativity that arose when essays could be shortened to 3 lines because you had to say all that you wanted to say with the least possible words, because more characters meant more money spent? We are dealing with somewhat of an opposite of problem here - LOTS of space to message but the messages are shortened to nearly incomprehensible short forms and do not give any background at all!
Give context, people. Tell the person why you're texting. It'll save everyone some time and the recipient an anxiety attack or two - and I promise you, you will be among their most appreciated acquaintances, merely because you don't keep them guessing.
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