Thursday, August 23, 2012

Spiteful words can hurt your feelings but the silence of a text can break your heart.


Since text messages have become more common, we see more incidents of couples breaking up by cell phones. Everyone knows that telling someone you want to break up is hard, but explaining why can be harder, that’s the reason some people will actually text in order to avoid confrontation, but you are not doing anyone a favor, but yourself. While new technology has led us to socialize and communicate through airwaves, computer screens, or text messages, it has also made us a very impersonal society. A text message can be interpreted in many ways since emotion or tone of voice is absent, so it should never be used to end a relationship. This is a slap in the face. 

There are really no good reasons why you should dump someone via text, unless you are fifteen years old or you have been dating a psycho and you're concerned for your safety. However, if that is not the case, then breaking things off by text is bad etiquette and lack of social skills.  

So, if that person meant something to you at one point in time you at least owe that person the courtesy of a phone call, —even a phone call is better than a text message. However, breaking up in person is more civilized than the tasteless alternative, and yet still some people choose to use this tactless method of breaking up. Some do it to avoid confrontation, like I mentioned before, others have trouble communicating their feelings, others don’t feel like they want or need to explain, some are just lazy and look for the easy way out, and others are just plain rude. Remember when you break-up with someone you should allow them the opportunity to get some things off their chest as well; otherwise they are left with questions hanging in the air and that is not fair. A text saying, “WE’RE DONE!” or “IT’S OVER!” will not bring closure to that person. It is hard enough to cope with the fact that you are being dumped, let alone not knowing why and leave you wondering WTF?

Personally, as uncomfortable as it may be, I would prefer to deal with the unpleasant issue face to face. The use of a break up text is rude, crude and socially unacceptable, no matter what your age is. You should show some respect for the good times you had in your relationship by ending it in the right way. 

And if you are the one receiving the breakup text, you should not respond to their text. If that person lacked the character and spine to face you one last time, obviously they are not worthy of your time.

So, what’s your take? What do you think about breaking up with someone over a text message, voice mail or email, is it cowardly or just plain rude?

 

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