Text messages are notoriously easy to misinterpret. Oftentimes, it’s not the words in the message that cause the receiver to misconstrue the meaning, it’s the punctuation.
Periods, specifically, can alter the tone of a text, says Daniel Post Senning, co-author of “Emily Post’s Etiquette: The Centennial Edition.”
“The difference between someone saying, ‘Funny!’ and ‘Funny.’ is dramatic in terms of how it’s interpreted,” Senning says.
When it comes to exclamation points, though, you can’t over-do it.
Periods can add a tone of hostility to short messages. You don’t need to be ending “one or two-word replies” with a period, Senning says.
If you want to communicate that an issue is truly serious, then use a period, he says.
Another tool you might want to use sparingly is humor, as tone, something that cannot be conveyed via text, is crucial in it being interpreted correctly.
“It’s really hard to write funny,” Senning says.
Before sending a joke via text, Senning suggests asking yourself “Is this relationships established enough or do I need to know them well for it to land?”
Exclamation points can be used quite liberally, though.
“It’s worth knowing that people use exclamation points and emoji more freely in text,” Senning says. “It’s a way to show enthusiasm and it doesn’t indicate a super excited explanation. It can be used to modify tone in the positive.”
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