Is punctuation in text messages unfriendly?

[CruCru]

A little while ago, I read something (possibly in the Guardian) that said that young people find my style of texting (basically, full stops and question marks, paragraphs etc) weird and unfriendly. It is better to leave off the punctuation altogether (although ! are fine) and send a separate text for each sentence.

I must admit that getting a whole string of texts off one person really irritates me. I’ve turned off the sound of texts / WhatsApps (because the repeated ping was making me crazy). I’ll start to reply but then get a whole load of other messages, making my reply pointless.

Am I old? I’m only 41.

I read the Guardian but sometimes it makes me want to tear my hair out.

If this is true, then 'young people' are wrong. We came up with punctuation for a reason.

But I am a grumpy 43 year old.

I always use punctuation! I might leave off the final full stop and sign with one 'x' if it's a close friend or husband. In fact, if I used a full stop at the very end husband would probably think I was angry. I can't stand text talk so always use proper grammar. WhatsApp annoys the hell out of me with the class group and I have muted it, dipping in every now and then to delete the never ending crap that's accumulated over the day check I have not missed a mass party invite.

dh likes to reply as he reads, so often get lots of single line responses from him and inevitably he will miss out the answer to something vital

I tend to do the whole capitals, punctuation, occasional italics and underlining, paragraphs, unless in a full on rant mode which ends up in several one word expletive capslock bold

WHAT
THE
ACTUAL
FUCKING
BUGGERY
BOLLOCKING
SHITEY
SHITE

sort of thing, which is usually full of typos as I am severely vexed and then dh will wangle a perfectly reasonable reply in somewhere between two swearwords which makes me laugh :o

Dh is also fond of a CUlater but then he came to texting when it was pay per character, so no spaces either!

I reckon lack of punctuation nowadays indicates either

A)Someone who CBA to make a text easy and clear for the recipient to read or
B) someone - probably older - using a non-touchscreen phone on which punctuation is difficult.

Terse texts are ok IMO if they convey all that's needed eg responses of ok or yep.

So the young people don't like full stops in texts. Who made them the text boss? Did they invent it? Why do we have to pander to youth on everything?

I know language etc evolves but this has been a gentle process over centuries. It's like we're now suddenly hurtling towards complete destruction of meaningful language altogether.

If I thought for a minute this "evolution" would lead to any improvement in life, I would embrace it wholeheartedly.

Sorry to be such a curmudgeon but I'm beginning to despair at being told I'm wrong about everything because I believe it's important to maintain some standards.

I punctuate texts properly. I don't think anyone I know would find it terse. The dc don't punctuate texts, but they know I do, so my texts wouldn't come across as annoyed to them.

It wasn't until my sister screen-shotted me a pic of her text/WA conversation with her boyfriend that I realised some people end every message with "xx"

"Can you get some milk on your way home xx"
"Yes ok xx"
"It's cheaper in Sainsburys xx"
"OK will go there xx"

WTF is the point? I only put a xx on my message if I've told someone I love them, IN THAT MESSAGE. Like "Hope you sleep better tonight, love you lots xx".

I’m not really sure The Guardian is down with the kids. 😂

I do think it looks odd to put a full stop after a short message.

OK.

@FuriousVexation

My friends and I put xx at the end of every message, it's just something I've done since I was a teenager

A full stop at the end usually means someone is fucked off. I’m a millennial and this is a general rule I’d say. Full stops throughout the text are fine if it’s long but adding one at the end means you’re pissed off.

Gah i hate shorted texts - especially when your phone basically spells the word for you once you have typed a few characters.

'C U L8er' must be harder to write than 'see you later'
The abbreviations I believe hark back to a time when you had limited characters per message and if you write more than 180 you had to send two messages. I remember having to shorten my messages to fit the word count. Now people can write essays without worrying.

Also abbreviations - I work in healthcare and the amount of abbreviations I come across on fb etc that are very similar that I think hang on that means this at work but I don't think it means that here. Took me 10 minutes the other day to realise that 'IKR' meant 'I know right' and 'SMH' means 'shaking my head'

I punctuate properly. I do not object out loud to people sending texts which aren't fully punctuated. I do judge people who send work emails in text speak, though.

I find now it's the older generation who still use text speak. eg my MIL and my aunt are in their 50s and both use text speak. No one my age uses it, and I've had teens I've taught telling me how uncool it is to write cu l8r!

With auto correct and unlimited characters it isn't necessary anymore.

Punctuation exists to make sense of what you are reading. Of course I punctuate text messages. Why would I not?

I'm 28 and I never send full stops in texts but in any other piece of writing I will. It does make me feel like someone's being short with me when they end sentences with a full stop over texts or instant messenger. Completely irrational but there we go!

Not do I resort to so called text-speak.

Surely no one relies on autocorrect, either. It creates errors on far too many occasions.

Oh and everyone I know uses full English in messages. No one uses 'text speak'. I don't receive a lot of messages with full punctuation either so it seems to be a thing in my friendship circle at least

Nor do I...

(Good ol’ autocorrect.🙄)

No!

I write my texts generally with full SPAG. If I don't, then it means either I've asked one of the dc to write it as I'm driving or it's done in a hurry.

Despite using full and accurate punctuation throughout the body of a text I would always end with a x or an emoticon of some sort and maybe only a full stop to (male) boss as it otherwise seems a little terse.

I don't get how you can write without full stops between sentences, though. What do you use instead?

@Danglingmod can't speak for everyone but usually between sentences is fine it's just a full stop at the end makes the tone of the message change... A lot of my messages end with an exclamation mark or nothing at all, which is what happened in my previous post and will happen in this one

DS (20) was just telling me yesterday about a minor text disagreement between his flatmates He said: and Andrew finished his text with a full stop!
I asked what was so special about correctly ending a sentence with a full stop and ds was amazed that I didn't know the full stop is seen as a way of showing you're pissed off, end of subject.

I'm 26 and a few years ago when I was a uni someone thought I was cold becuase I used punctuation properly in my messages, used full sentences and rarely used emojis.

They also seemed to think that by using full sentences and full stops I was trying to come across as angry.

I found it really odd and still do. My view was I was just typing how I would say it.