Textiquette

Texting, like a lot of things, can seem confusing to a ‘newbie’ (someone who hasn’t used texting before). That’s why it’s important to learn ‘the rules’ so that you don’t make a mistake or do something uncool or mean. Even if you’ve been texting for a while, there may be some things you can learn, so read on!

The 5 W’s – who, what, where, when, how

Wot’s kewl & wot’s not

Because texting is so quick and easy, sometimes people can send a text without thinking about how the person receiving it might feel.

There are four simple things you can do before sending a text to help make sure your texts are understood and that you don’t upset anyone:
- Check your lingo. Have you followed the rules about not shouting (unless it’s a shout for joy like ‘YAY!’)? Is your text lingo clear enough that people will understand what you mean?
- How would you feel if someone sent you that message? If you re-read what you’ve written and feel uncomfy or gross, then that’s a really good sign that you shouldn’t send it.
- Edit your writing. Read the text out loud. Can you understand it? If not, try again.
- Will you still want to send the text in 5 minutes time? We can sometimes say things in the heat of the moment that we don’t really mean (like telling your parents you hate them if they tell you off). Once you send a text there is no way to get it back, so think carefully about whether you really want to ‘say’ those things to the person you’re sending the text to.

Before sending, take some time to think about your message….

Wot 2 do wen tngz git uncool

When people don’t follow the 5 W’s, things can get ugly. Click here to read about text-bullying and what you can do to help stop it.