Are full stops passive aggressive?

[Samas]

Are full stops really passive-aggressive now? According to my colleague they are, especially in text messages. Apparently, ending a sentence correctly is no longer “neutral” but somehow comes across as cold or hostile.

yabu= full stops are indeed PA
yanbu= of course they’re not

I don’t know how anyone can get by if proper punctuation is offensive.

Well isn't it sad that people under 30 are showing themselves up to be so ignorant and ill educated?
I seriously hope that right minded people don't buy into this nonsense.

Agreed.
Getting offended is a whole new hobby nowadays though!

Quite. If I want to be aggressive in a text message (rarely) then the recipient will be in no doubt as to my intention! But a full stop? C’mon that’s stupid.

No, the opposite. The most passive aggressive person I ever knew used to miss full stops from the ends of texts. Like she couldn’t be arsed finishing it properly.

Sorry, I voted the wrong way! I read the first one as ‘IABU full stops are needed’! Doh, in my defence, it’s dark and I’m tired. Sorry!

No, I’m not pandering to this. I always punctuate in my texts and no one has thought me as being “PA” .

Yep. My apprentice admitted the other day she often re-reads messages to check if the person is cross with her or just using correct punctuation.

It made us all laugh so much we have all started sending just single full stops as Teams messages to each other.

Perhaps it’s best those of us over 30 don’t send emails to those under 30 . . . if there’s any chance our punctuation prowess might cause offence.

Punctuation indicates and marks the end of an idea: it facilitates a reader’s understanding.
WTAF is this ridiculous reaction?

My daughter always asked why I’m pissed off if I end a text with a full stop. Apparently it shows I’m cross about something.

I don't know how some of these people manage to get out of bed in the morning.

Now. That. You. Mention. It. Yes. They. Are.

But you've caught the tail end of the trend.

Next! Week! It! Will! Be! Exclamation! Marks!

Honestly, this relentless seeking out offence and discord must be exhausting. No wonder mental health issues are on the rise.

Only if you say it out loud: 'and I'm not talking about it anymore, full stop.'

It's not that serious! Language evolves, and the current way that younger people use language in text messaging usually doesn't involve using punctuation, so if someone from that age group puts in full stops it is seen (and often meant) as being very abrupt or even angry. I think they all know that in more formal contexts punctuation is needed and doesn't have the same connotations.

I'm from the generation that probably invented txt spk (u ok hun?) because our first mobile phones were bricks where you had to press a button multiple times for each letter, and text messages were charged by the character, so people cut out as much as they could to save time and money. It didn't mean we were illiterate, it was just how you wrote txt msgs.

So of course different generations develop their own informal language and norms for communication. I feel fortunate these days when I get an actual message rather than a voice note from someone under 30...

I’d better go now.

vs

I’d better go now!

or

I think you were late.

vs

I think you were late!

etc etc- I do sometimes make sure to put an emoji or exclamation mark in a text to make sure the tone is seen as light as opposed to challenging

Ffs no, of course not. Jesus.

Punctuation is punctuation.

I use semi colons a fair bit - have I been inadvertently giving everyone the text equivalent of the bird?!

I'm fine with them thinking I am passive aggressive. I hope they are ok with the fact I think they are stupid.

Of course they’re not. It’s just punctuation. It’s the ‘being offended’ culture, load of old nonsense.

My children told me that full stops at the end of sentences in texts were considered passive aggressive. It is true. I think it's stupid. It is stupid. It's just a full stop. I'm not pandering to it either.

Yes, I know it might seem ott but sometimes, in some circumstances, they can be used to get the last word or abruptly end a sentence
I know from my own personal experience, an old friend does only put fullstops when she's offended or insistent on having the last word
Of course everyone is different, it depends on what the norm is for each individual
We need to take into account, what is the norm for each individual 💚

Each of those 4 sentences would look much better with proper punctuation, assuming they are 4 separate sentences.

Well I think it is serious. If younger people are so paranoid that they actually interpret the use of normal punctuation as an act of aggression or annoyance then it indicates they have mental health issues.
I also think the fact people on this thread are saying that younger people ask them not to use punctuation because it apparently upsets them is also a sign that it is serious to them.
I honestly despair of a world where we are encouraging a whole generation to be frightened of a full stop. Total madness.