SatSC: The texting game

Julia Busatto
The Silhouette

We’ve all been there, that moment when you get that special person’s number and the texting escapades begin.

Texting someone new feels like venturing into an unknown territory. It’s exciting, but proceed with caution my friends. A lot more than you may know is conveyed through a simple “lol”.  Communication is easily lost through your iPhone screen and texting can be a recipe for disaster if handled by over zealous, unintelligible fingers. You’ve got to play the game, and you better be good at it.

So let’s run through some scenarios to help you maintain the interest of that particular lady, or not send that poor lad running to Compass for the earliest bus ticket out of the city.

When first interested in someone, they seem to be the only thing occupying your mind. However, you cannot let them know through your texts that you feel this way. Texting someone once or twice every couple of days at first is flattering, but texting them multiple times every single day is excessive.

What the other person comprehends from your texts may be false, but gives a negative impression nonetheless. The common, “What are you doing? What are you doing now? What’s up? How was class? What are you up to tonight?” texts that come in spurts every couple hours is a little much don’t you think? Don’t be a time consuming texter.

Secondly, response time is key. It’s okay to respond right away if the other person is doing the same, but if they delay their response time, delay yours. It’s a little embarrassing when you are always responding back right away, and their responses come every couple hours. To maintain interest, keep your response following the same timing as theirs. It’s becoming more and more like a game, isn’t it.

Next is the issue of emoticons, and those super keen texts that thrive in the forms of exclamation marks, extra lettered words, and excessive punctuation. This may make you appear juvenile, or immature. We all know girls want to text men, not boys. So expand your vocabulary, and avoid saying lol after every word lol and every sentence. Are you really laughing? Let’s be serious.

Lastly, don’t use your phone to send manuscripts of novels to the person you’re trying to impress. It’s not fun being a little tipsy on a Friday night, and trying to decipher a 4 page text. Be clear and concise. The only time a huge text is appropriate is when something outrageously funny happens and you’re texting your best friend, or you are giving your mom an extensive breakdown of your day.

If you take my advice I guarantee you, you will snag the person you’re trying so hard to “wheel”. Remember texting isn’t an art, it’s a strategic game.