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 just looked at recent texts from DD - seems like she doesn't bother with full stop if it's a single sentence. Some of my texts to her have them, some don't.

If it's a single sentence then the full stop is redundant, so it shouldn't really matter. I'd no idea that anything might be inferred from its presence or absence - I suppose that in cases where it's redundant it could be construed as 'that's my answer - period'

I'm 28. My sister is 19 and I always use proper punctuation. She always used to ask me to stop putting full stops at the end of everything because it gave her anxiety 😂😂😂😂

If I get a text full of exclamation marks and emojis instead of full stops, I find it supremely irritating.

But several posters said they don't use full stops at all. Do they use "lol" instead lol

A full stop at the end usually means someone is fucked off.

NO IT FUCKING DOESN'T!

@Danglingmod you'll probably find they're the ones that send multiple texts containing one sentence each so punctuation isn't necessary at all

Or end with lol or an emoji or xx

My system puts full stops in if you hit the space bar a couple of times, which I usually do at the end of a sentence because that's what I was taught when learning to type. It definitely doesn't mean I'm pissed off with anyone.

O dear, I must be doing it all wrong. I always use punctuation, including a full stop. I never use Xs, and if I use an exclamation mark, it's to make a point or show that I'm miffed.

I must be totally misunderstood.

Oh god.

No wonder my friends don't speak to me.. Ha ha.

I'm going to read all my messages now adn see who uses punctuation.

I think that people who send multiple one-line messages must never have lived in the olden days when I had to pay 10p per text message. Text speak was okay when there was a limit to how many characters a text could have but is just a nuisance now.

My MIL adds at least 20 emojis to each text.

I never use text speak. I use commas, semi colons and dashes in texts. I use full stops to, you know, indicate the end of a sentence. I only put kisses to DP or DSis. And I've been known to use Latin in a text.

There's no hope for me is there?

DH winds me up immensely by putting two full stops between sentences, I have no idea why, and when I ask rant athim about it he just shrugs and says "habit I suppose". Maybe he's stealing everyone else's fullstops?

aargh, it makes me so annoyed, I can't even do a strike-through properly

If I receive a text from someone without proper punctuation then I consider them rude. The only thing I do differently in texts to writing everywhere else is 1 space after a full stop instead of the normal 2. It feels wrong but I got into the habit when texts were character limited.

I have my own style. With punctuation.

Why are there a whole bunch of folk judging me for it?

It is in the same area of crazy as my MIL's belief that saying someone looks well means they have put on weight.

Wow, every day is a school day. I am definitely in the punctuation and paragraphs camp.

It's more in single-word or very brief responses that punctuation can indicate tone - "Yes." can be read differently to "Yes".

I'm 36 so hardly young, but I remember this 'etiquette' evolving on message boards etc. so it's obvious to me, my husband never used forums though so doesn't accept it!

It's pointless to argue whether using punctuation in text is right* or not. The point is that some^ people (usually under 30) apparently see a full stop in a text as abrupt and confrontational and it's becoming an accepted convention.

In the same way many people see USING CAPITALS IS SHOUTING IN TEXT. It's become convention.

Whether you're a grammar pedant or not, it's important to understand how you are understood, Not just how you think you should be understood

I think it depends if you grew up with it? Emoji's started becoming a thing around the time I was finally old enough to start using mobile so it's so ingrained in me. Everyone I know who is the same age would only put a full stop if they were annoyed and trying to make a point. Most of us find a text without emojis to be off too. Although it doesn't seem to bother us when the texts are from older people, as I guess we don't expect them to communicate in the same way. This is literally a convo i had with my friends in the pub the other day!

I couldn't care less if I am considered to be 'unfriendly' by writing correct English, they may even learn someting from it to fill their font of ignorance!

some people (usually under 30) apparently see a full stop in a text as abrupt and confrontational

Diddums! Let's face it they are probably offended 90% of the time, bless their little cotton socks.

Maybe you're the ignorant one by not being able to adapt to different forms of communication. I'm assuming you don't talk to people in an ultra formal manner in the same way you would address a superior? This is no different.

I'm old but how does a full stop mean the writer is angry or pissed off? What a load of bollocks. Full stop