Texting Trouble

Most of our lives are spent on computers, phones, or tablet devices. It’s just a fact of our ever-changing technologically-advanced society. And it’s convenient, I might add….for someone like me that absolutely HATES talking on the phone. So texting is right up my alley.

One behavior I am trying to correct in myself and my family is interpreting tone and assigning attitude to written words.

For example, when reading a text response recently, I noticed myself inserting certain nonverbal facial expressions and changing the tone of my voice. Why would I do that? To convey a tone and attitude to the written text to the people on the other end of my conversation.

And that’s not right or fair at all. So I stopped. Immediately. I know I am not perfect and I am always seeking ways to correct behaviors in myself, model them for my children, and make changes in the relationships I value in my life. I will need to keep this new practice at the forefront of my mind. Just because I stopped myself in my tracks doing it once, doesn’t mean it is fixed in me. I will need to continue doing this until I have mastered it.

The context of written word can be interpreted so many way, but honestly you cannot know the motivation or intention behind whoever wrote those words, right? You are not a mind reader. You do not really know the motivation or intention behind someone else’s words.

So let’s make a promise to one another to be conscious of those actions when reading text, whether it is in your head or you are reading aloud. Try reading it like a robot would, with no inflection at all. Just flat, non-emotionally charged words. Take the text at face value, not interpreting what you want it to say at all.

Your relationships will be better because of your new efforts.