Remember the old SMS days, where we used to text each other and then wait for the reply. Gradually, Whatsapp entered our lives and the whole scenario witnessed a sea change. With the feature of ‘Last seen’ many felt imprisoned with the obligation to send a reply. Now Whatsapp has launched a new feature, the ‘blue ticks’ which has made our lives from gray to blue. But can anyone of us tell why we are abhorring those blue ticks? The reason is that we feel we are being tracked. If I decide not to reply to a person, I cannot do so because of the obligation of those stupid blue ticks, which equals to me shouting at the face of the sender that “hello, I am avoiding you”. So, isn’t it our duty to learn the rules of texting, so that Whatsapp remains a way only for communication and not of pesting the other person. Here are the unsaid rules:
1. It is perfectly fine if the other person didn’t reply
First and the foremost rule! In fact, this is the golden rule. Don’t go crazy if you don’t get a reply from the other person. It can be a case that the receiver of the message is busy at this moment and he/she needs time to respond to you in a proper manner. Else, maybe they are not busy, but are not in a mood to respond you. Mind it, if you keep doing pings again and again, you are just going to irritate them and the situation will just go haywire. Patience is the key here!
2. The time schedule
There is always a good time and a bad time to text a person. If you are aware that at this point of time, the other person sleeps, or is in office or this is the study time, then just don’t send a ping at this time. Understand the other person’s time schedule and value it. If they don’t respond to you at this time, then it is you who is to be blamed for harming the time schedule of the other person.
3. Respond
The other side of the coin! If somebody texts you, you must reply back in a fine and just manner. The other person cares for you or needs you, that’s why it also becomes your responsibility to reply back. Be kind to the other person!
4. Length of the text
Length of the text! Well, I am personally bad at this and usually ends up breaking this rule. I possess a habit of long texts, but those texts always make sense. But as a matter of rule, the texts should be short and crisp, not as long as a novel. The longer texts sometimes make the reader ignore what the sender has to say with a notion that he/she requires an hour to read and then think and then finally respond. A short text should be typed and sent in 30 seconds maximum. Keep it short!
5. Avoid the conversation killers like Hmmm..
Many of you must be having this habit of replying to the other person with a ‘Hmmm..’. Okay! Cool! You replied with this Hmmm.. thing, but what is the other person left with… Ummm? Hmm.. is one of the conversation killers people use to escape a person or an issue. So, next time, if Hmm… is the reply from your sender, you Know it right!
6. Reply proportionately
Another one is K! Just imagine, you composed a novel like message for the other person and in reply you get a single alphabet K! You will definitely feel vulnerable! I request people to reply proportionately to the messages. I am not saying you also type a novel as the reply, but a few lines can suffice.
7. Never respond to a text with a call
Few people have this habit of dialing the number of every second person from whom they receive a message. Well, such people do not understand the utility of a text, which is, when you are unable to give a call or pick a call, you simply drop a text, with an intention of conveying the message without spending much of the time. A text means no call business! In case you think your reply can be best understood with a call, ask them for the permission to call and then hit the dialer.
8. Tone of the message
A lot of break ups are happening these days because of the sarcasm which one person adds and the other person misreads. The tone of the message can never be judged in a text; so it is better to avoid sarcasm till the point you are not really aware with the nature of the other person. When you know what the other person is, sarcastic texts become a bliss!
Well, communication tools like Whatsapp, Hike or Viber, these are the means to connect to your loved ones. Don’t make these tools of communication a troubleshooting aspect for the other one. Maintain the decency of a text and Stay connected.. coz thats lyf!
You may be having more rules or you may want to frame more rules, both are invited. Leave your comments below.
