Too Much Texting Could Be Harming Your Dating Mojo

Texting etiquette can make dating more difficult, but it can also be a major source of frustration and dissatisfaction within long-term, serious relationships.

Researchers at Brigham Young University recently found heavy texting to be associated with relationship dissatisfaction among both men and women.

The researchers studied the texting habits of 276 adults between the ages of 18 and 25 (38 percent were in a serious relationship, 46 percent were engaged and 16 percent were married), and had them fill out an extensive relationships assessment questionnaire, which included questions about the role of technology in their love lives.

The researchers found that using text messages as a way to apologize, settle disagreements or make decisions was associated with lower relationship quality for women. For men, lower relationship quality was correlated with texting too frequently.

According to a recent Intel survey, over 60 percent of young people say that they rely on technology too much, and that it can be dehumanizing.

Six Things to Avoid to Keep Texting from Ruining a Date

Whether dating someone new you are seeking to impress or someone you love and are committed to, there are do’s and don’ts on a date and texting has added its own list of things that can inadvertently spoil the mood.

1. Maintain complete attention – if a text arrives during the date, do not interrupt conversation to read and respond to the text. There’s no way to do that without letting your date know he/she matters less than the text.
2. Ask the Person Out in Person or by Phone – Admittedly, this counsel is quite likely deprecated and more suitable to the older generation. Young people have a deep involvement in texting over voice calls. However, the old fashioned approach of asking a person out in person or by phone has a personal touch all its own.
3. Embrace Intimacy over Texting – For some people, texting someone they are fond of is done out of insecurity about being up close and personal with them. True intimacy can be frightening, but that is a healthy emotion. Do not avoid it by hiding behind text messages.
4. Avoid Arguing Via Text Messages – Invariably, people can be much harsher or brusque via texts than they would be in person. Avoid damaging a relationship by arguing via texts.
5. Sexting is no Replacement for Love – There is a thrill to sexting and it can add spice to a relationship as one form of foreplay. However, limit the use of it. Intimacy requires mystery and anticipation. Some things are better left unsaid.
6. Unrealistic Expectations of Response Time – Remember that just because a special someone doesn’t respond back to a text immediately, it does not mean they do not care. People have multiple priorities to juggle.

Source material:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephanie-sarkis-phd/dating-tips_b_1562892.html