4 Ways Text Messaging Changed Dating
Tiger's cheating texts made us wonder: how on earth did we flirt before text messaging?
If you've followed this Tiger Woods scandal (and, it's everywhere, so how could you not?), one helpful tip you've likely gathered is that billionaire celebrity pro-golfers enjoy their raunchy text messages as much—if not more!—than your regular, run-of-the-mill horny dude. Texting Sex Ed
Indeed, it was a string of steamy sexts that in many ways unraveled Tiger's harem of opportunist cocktail waitresses/porn stars and gave us all visual proof of his seedy intentions. Tiger Woods And Rachel Uchitel: Love or Lies?
The New York Times printed a story about the wonderful world of text messages and how they've revolutionized cheating. Tiger Woods actually followed in the footsteps of other high-profile philanderers like former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and Senator John Ensign of Nevada, who were both caught in an electronic paper trail of texts. Illegitimate sexting has become so commonplace, in fact, that the The American Bar Association now offers seminars for marital attorneys on how to use electronic evidence—text messages, browsing history and social networks—in proving a case.
Which got us to thinking—we spend more time then necessary dissecting texts, waiting for them and brainstorming funny ones, that there isn't a way text messaging hasn't revolutionized dating, too. Dating Advice: What To Do When He Doesn’t Call
1.) Nice Ice-Breaker: Gee, how did people break the ice before text messaging? Seriously. After the phone number exchange, if you suffer from a bout of insecurity, there's no better way to get the ball rolling then a simple little witticism. Nice, non-evasive and rejection-free, that text message. It's for all those times where a phone call might be a little over eager. If you get no response then you can almost pretend it never happened. Hell, we've conducted entire relationships via text message—granted we're still single—which brings us to our second point.
2.) Barometer Of Interest: The Times brings up "younger cellphone users" who are more likely to text than talk and how text messages now outnumber voice calls three to one. Fair enough, and maybe we're old-school, but among our hen circle if a guy never listens to a ring tone and has nary an idea of your voicemail message, the relationship is headed nowhere fast. We'd love, love, LOVE to contradict this, but an informal poll of all our blissfully coupled friends all but reinforced the importance of an actual voice.
Texting (and e-mailing) become COLOSSAL wastes of time. When a relationship is new, it all seems OK, but when life gets back to normal, it's a pain to back off. And back off one must! We can't remain children with no responsibilities forever.
Another dimension to texting that was not mentioned in this article is the lack of visual cues via note or phone call. Sometimes the expression on a person's face or his body language is crucial to understanding meaning and intent. So texting, especially, can spell big trouble -- even if the person can spell.
LOL is bad, but it's missed apostrophes that get my nut. Agree with most of this - especially the need to call. Nice post.
Stone Age flirting was more physical. It involved looks, body language, and touching each other.
You had to have nerve to flirt. Calling someone meant either talking to them directly or leaving a message with their hallmates. Of course, you could start by calling about homework or something.
The only disadvantage was not being able to contact someone in the middle of the night unless you were sleeping together.
