YOUNG PEOPLE ASK/What Should I Know About Texting?

What you text

Text messages are so easy to send-and fun to receive-that it's easy to forget that people may read between the lines.

What you should know:  Words conveyed via texting can be misinterpreted.  

"With texting you can't sense emotions and tone of voice-even with emoticons or text symbols. It can cause misunderstandings ." -Briana. 

'I know girls who have ruined their reputation and are known to be flirts because of what they have sent in  a text to boys." -Laura.

The Bible says: "Good people think before they answer."  (Proverbs 15:28, Good News Translation)  The lesson?  Reread your message before you hit "Send"! 

When you text

By using common sense, you can develop your own rules of texting-texting etiquette, as some call it.

What you should know:  If you don't watch your texting manners, you'll come off as rude and repel friends than attract them. 

"It's easy to forget text etiquette. I find myself in a conversation with someone or at the dinner table, and yet I'm texting at the same time." -Allison.

"It's dangerous to be texting and driving. If you take your eyes off the road, you risk getting into an accident." -Anne. 

The Bible says:  "For everything there is an appointed time, . . . a time to keep quiet and a time to speak." (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7) That applies to texting just as much as it does to talking!

Next time: YOUNG PEOPLE ASK/What Should I Know About Texting? -Texting tips

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