In the good old days, things were defined by a series of face-to-face encounters. People met, spent time together, and evaluated the quality of their connection and capability in a person. Sure, they talked on the phone or maybe sent occasional letters, but the core of their relationship centered on face-to-face interactions.
Does texting simply supplement regular face-to-face, or is it strategic with its advantages and consequences? For many people, texting is a major source of relationship communication. In one sample, over 90 percent report texting as an important thing which enables them to improve their social life and connect more. Understanding why people opt to text their partners and friends more is the first step to considering its role in healthy relationship development.
Texting removes some barriers that can make face-to-face conversations or even phone calls. However, by avoiding these stressful encounters, you allow yourself to have shakier interpersonal skills that later on build-up to something worse. For instance, texting is used early and often in dating relationships, and while it might be easier, it does have downsides. Once texting begins, it might not stop. The more texts people receive, the more they feel obligated to text back, creating a cycle of mobile relationship maintenance.
Further, because the communication is not face-to-face, it adds a psychological distance. Without our non-verbal signals, texting is often fraught with confusion. In the end, is it healthy to text? Certain patterns suggest that satisfaction and stability are linked to texting. Ladies who text more frequently tend to feel happier in their relationships, and their partners do as well. Interestingly, the more men text with a partner, the less happy they tend to be.
