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The meanings behind your text messages

Wonder no more, your guide to texting is here.

Vinny Chiam

Published: 25 January 2016, 4:47 PM

How many times have you been told that every word counts? Now, it turns out that every punctuation counts as well, especially when you are texting.

As we move on to newer communication tools, what and how we text can have an entirely different meaning from what we were trying to convey. Here are some things to look out for in the way you text your friends as they have a major effect on how others view your personality.

1. Full stops.

THESE ARE THE TEXTS THAT MAKE YOU OVERANALYZE AND WONDER WHAT YOU DID WRONG.

As proven by science, if you end your text messages to your friends with a full stop, you are a heartless monster. Not only that, it also implies insincerity and annoyance.

Imagine that you texted a friend asking if they wanted to go out for lunch and they responded, “sorry I’m busy.” Now, imagine instead they replied, “sorry I’m busy!” The punctuation made a huge difference in how it sounds.

This is because texting lacks the social cues that are used in face-to-face and to make up for it, texters rely on what is available to them such as emoticons and punctuation. And since full stops are used to mark the end of a sentence, it adds on the meaning that it is the end of the conversation.

2. Exclamation marks!!

EXCLAMATION MARKS WORK EVEN WHEN YOU ARE ANGRY

PHOTO CREDIT: GIPHY

The exclamation mark is the most valuable punctuation you can use as it shows excitement and friendliness, especially when you are texting someone for the first time. It adds on a sense of warmth and sincerity to your texts.

But be careful as exclamation points can be dangerous too. If you use one too many, you may sound over excited.

3. Ellipses…

THIS IS JUST ANOTHER PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE WAY OF ASKING YOU WHERE YOU ARE.

The ellipses, a row of three dots, are usually used to signify the omission of a word. When used in text messages, it is your way of telling the texter what you cannot say or are afraid to say. If you use ellipses often, it could mean that you are a very awkward person.

Ellipses make your messages sound passive-aggressive and insincere. If you are used to using it, perhaps you should stop doing it before it gets you into trouble…

4. Emoji and Emoticons

YOUR RECENTLY USED EMOJI ALSO HAS A DEEPER MEANING.

Do you always include emojis when texting? If you do, you are someone who is expressive and friendly. If you do not, it usually means that you are not comfortable with expressing yourself. Not only that, the emoji that you use often can say something about you too.

For example, if the most commonly used emoji on your list is the screaming face emoji, you are a responsible and caring person, while the high-five emoji means that you are someone who is always open to new experiences.

So now, you can stop wondering if a person is mad at you and immediately start freaking out about what you did wrong.