To think it's inconsiderate to text someone at half 5 in the morning

[Jesstheblackandwhitecat]

Or am I being unreasonable? Not an emergency, a colleague asking me something.

[mummy2oneandtwo]

I’ve had this with a friend, she said I’d sent a message too early.

Put your phone on silent, DND, off....it’s your responsibility to make sure your phone is not going to disturb you, you can’t control when you’ll get a message.

I have relatives in America and Australia and they can text me at all times of day and night, but if my phones on silent it doesn’t matter.

[Cantseethewoods]

I leave my phone on ring but texts/whatsapp/email on silent. Done. Not hard.

[Blockb]

I use do not disturb when I go to sleep, I've got a couple of friends who live in different countries and some who live here that do shifts. I wouldn't call a house phone late, but I'd text at anytime.

[Topseyt]

Just adding too that I wouldn't criticise anyone who felt they needed to be contactable at all times once their children started university.

Many new uni students settle well (mine did, luckily), but a quick browse of the support threads in higher education will soon confirm that some find it harder.

I guess I didn't actually need to be contactable 24/7, but I wanted to be. If I had found that my DD had tried to contact me urgently during the night and I hadn't responded I would have been horrified with myself.

In 4 years of her being a student, including one spent abroad, contact in the small hours was only needed once, and I won't be going into the reasons for that on here.

[ShellyBoobs]

Put your phone on silent, DND, off....it’s your responsibility to make sure your phone is not going to disturb you, you can’t control when you’ll get a message.

Bollocks. You can’t control when you receive phone calls, either. But most people don’t call for unimportant reasons at 5am.

Texting at 5am isn’t reasonable. Email, yes. Text no.

[Cantseethewoods]

What’s the difference between an email an a text?

[KingMortificadosMistress]

Why would anyone think it’s acceptable to send a text at a time they wouldn’t dream of calling someone?

Because unlike a phone call, it's a form of electronic communication that the recipient is in total control of blocking receipt of during hours they don't want to receive it.

It's like saying "why is it acceptable to send an email at 5am?" Because the work is urgent, needs to be done and that's when I've finished it. It's done, ready and in the inbox waiting for the receipient to receive as and when.

If you are really busy and travel alot sometimes, it's the only way you can manage to respond at all -when you aren't in meetings or engaged. Things sometimes get sent when you are back in phone reception or across time zones.

It's the people who need their phone on all night by their bed like a sad drab kiddies comforter who are the dicks in this situation.

You are the people who will miss out of you insist on not sending texts until business hours. I was in LA and got an invitation to the kind of party anyone would want to go to In London and I could take a guest. The text inviting a friend got sent then and there while I thought about it. Otherwise I wouldn't have got round to it.

[StealthPolarBear]

Yes good point. My phone buzzes at emails too and flipping tweets.

[KingMortificadosMistress]

*if you insist

[Cantseethewoods]

I would differentiate between verbal and written communication. I wouldn’t call someone at 5am but I wouldn’t differentiate between emailing ( although I rarely use email outside work now), whatsapp or sms.

[coddiwomple]

What’s the difference between an email an a text?

absolutely none the poster was unreasonable. I get the same sound for both emails and texts on my phone, which is why it's on silent at night.

People make an effort not to call, but to text or email instead to avoid disturbing the recipient. If someone expects everybody to guess that they have some special private rules about them, they should advise their friends. They are not mind readers!

[BearsDontDigOnDancing]

Not one person I know would dream of sending txts in the middle of the night, or super early morning.

And I would never do it either.

Thankfully I have no need to mess with my phone and set it up so that only certain numbers come through between certain hours etc. because it never happens.

And if someone did send me a txt in the middle of the night, that is not an emergency, just a general how are you txt, or asking a question that can wait, then I would think they are a dick.

But this is one of those things that the two opposing sides are never going to agree on.

[coddiwomple]

Most people I know are at work between 9am and 5pm. If that was the only acceptable time to text, no one would ever be in touch with anyone.
It's widely recognise that you can text at any time, if people refuse to admit it, then they will just be disturbed, what can you do.

I even got txt reminder about doctor's appointment late evening.

[BeerBaby]

The phone owner should call control when they want to receive texts and emails. I and my colleagues regularly email and message at the beginning of the day. For us that's 5.30am. It's good use of time.

[TheStoic]

It's widely recognise that you can text at any time

Only by dicks who think they’re extremely busy and important.

[ShellyBoobs]

What’s the difference between an email an a text?

No one ever gets in touch in an emergency by email. Therefore it’s perfectly normal to have email alerts switched off overnight whilst phone and text are ‘live’.

Not wishing to get into a dick waving contest with the PP above talking about LA but I travel constantly on business and have colleagues around the globe. None of us ever text each other during the night (in the recipient’s home time zone). It’s completely unheard of in any professional environment I’ve worked in.

We email at any time of the day or night, as do clients, external providers, etc, but no one ever texts at silly times unless it’s urgent.

[Cantseethewoods]

No-one texts don’t n an emergency either. They call.

[kali110]

I send messages when I'm awake and it's convenient for me to do so. That is often between 4 and 6am

So rude and inconsiderate in other words.
Too you, i couldn't give a toss if someone text me then! I use the silent tone for a reason!
For some people on here texting after 8pm is a massive no, yet some people haven't even finished work till then!
Don't want to be disturbed set it too silent or use dnd.

[MaisyPops]

People can send messagea when they lilr as long as they don't expect a response. I'm of the view that it's my job to decide whrn my phone is on/off rather than other people to alter their message writing.

That said, if the text was a work related text then I think it's out of order texting asking for info out of a reasonable working day. I don't expect to be contacted about work out of work (with the exception of a couple of good friends early in the evening when we are all planning and marking etc).

[coddiwomple]

of course not, I expect people to text me in an emergency! I check the message when I see it, if you leave a voice mail it might be hours before I have a chance to listen to them

TheStoic what time do you think it would be acceptable to text me then? If you are texting me this weekend, what time do you decide is ok? I bet it would be terribly inconvenient, but because you are texting it wouldn't be a bother.

[kali110]

It's widely recognise that you can text at any time
Or just normal between different people?

[gobster]

Obviously all the people in the it’s completely rude and unacceptable camp, don’t have friends/family in different time zones.

I am in not in same time zone as most my friends and family but I’m also in group chats on WhatsApp with these friends, they often chat in group before I’m awake, does it bother me, no because I use the wonders of technology to ensure I’m not disturbed

[C8H10N4O2]

No-one texts don’t n an emergency either. They call

In your experience possibly, however don't assume that is universal. The emergency systems used by peopel living alone (the button necklace things) use automated texting systems first in my experience. Calls to emergency relative numbers only come after an hour or more of non responding to the text.

But continue making assumptions. I'm profoundly glad that my friends and family are willing to spare a couple of seconds thought before sending me their latest cat or baby photo by text. Its such a burden for them I'm sure.

[dangerrabbit]

I would recommend turning off text notifications so they are silent but leaving phone ringer on so that people can receive emergency calls in the middle of the night.