With thousands of us texting and tweeting about our jobs, our favorite politicians, celebrities and even our favorite new restaurant, its easy to hit send without thinking. Those thoughtless texts or tweets can offend some and stir up a virtual hornet's nest. Here are seven texting etiquette tips to keep in mind when texting or tweeting.
Don’t text or talk while driving or in motion. Staring at a screen while walking isn’t just rude – it’s also potentially dangerous to yourself and others, and can result in unexpected stumbles, collisions or even serious injury. Texting or talking on your cell phone while driving may distract you, impair reaction times and endanger others, and should therefore always be avoided. While hands-free wireless Bluetooth headsets may mitigate some issues, the best solution is to pull over, park and finish conversations before resuming motion.
Don’t text anything you wouldn’t want posted in your company newsletter. If you send or receive a text from a company-owned device or over the company network, the message is considered company domain. Depending on the circumstances, you can get fired for sending what you assume to be a private email or text if it alludes to some criminal activity, some act against the employer or coworkers, unlawful harassment or bullying. Never bad-mouth the boss or your peers and read and re-read your text before hitting “send.”
Ask permission. Don’t assume that everyone likes to communicate the same way. If you use your phone for work purposes, ask permission before sending texts to clients, customers and coworkers. Some people find the communication intrusive instead of imperative.
Reply promptly. Texting is much faster (and oftentimes more convenient) than email. If someone sends a text to you, they most likely want a speedy reply. Respond accordingly.
Eliminate the emoticons. Emoticons are fine when communicating with a friend or family member. They are not appropriate for customers and clients who keep you employed. For work messages, use your best judgment and keep your text messages clean and professional.
Don’t text if the subject is serious. Salary negotiations and marriage proposals are best handled outside of the SMS world and yes, face to face.
The “other people” factor. It is not necessarily rude to text while you’re in the presence of others–if the point of the text message is to involve the recipient in the physical gathering.
On the other hand, communicating extensively via text when you should be fully engaged in what’s going on in the real world will surely annoy those around you.
Kids matter more than twitter. Kids can feel that we’re more interested in our phones than we are interested in them. It’s simple: give your kids 10 minutes of pure, undivided attention twice a day. This means you go into their world talking with them or playing with them with no interruptions. This supports positive attention and emotional connection, and it’s very doable. 10 minutes. Try it for a couple of weeks.
To make an effort to spend a mere 10 minutes of undivided time with your kid seems ridiculous. But for many (maybe most) parents, intentional time spent together can be surprisingly rare.