Digital Dating Rules
Best way to impress when sending flirty texts? Learn how to spell
Call us old-fashioned, but we are happy to hear that people still value accuracy in spelling and grammar, especially when it comes to courtship. According to a Digital Flirting Rules survey by chat and messaging app Omlet, most men and women say funky or informal spelling is the No. 1 biggest turnoff when receiving chats or text messages.
In other words, your “cr8tive” words are not cute. Seventy-three percent of women and 58 percent of men disapprove of that nonsense.
Both sexes also disapprove of lack of punctuation and grammar (46 percent of men and 59 percent of women). Men also hate multiple exclamation points. Apparently the ladies aren’t as bothered by them, which is probably because they’re the ones using them. On the list of turnoffs for men, it ranks No. 2 (47 percent disapprove). Only 38 percent of women had negative feelings about overly excited messaging.
Another thing on which the sexes can agree: emoticons and emoji. Thirty-one percent of men and 38 percent of women prefer to receive chats and text messages filled with smiley faces, winks and all that other stuff. So, you know, keep doing that.
Something on which men and women radically disagree: the late-night texts. Guys really like being messaged from 11 pm-7 am (21 percent), but only 1 percent of women want to receive texts in the middle of the night — and 55 percent really dislike it.
So, dudes, maybe chill on the “R U up?” texts at 3 am. Perhaps they’d be better received if delivered as “Are you up?”
Here are the big turnoff takeaways:
Top five biggest digital flirting turnoffs for men
- Funky or very informal spelling (58 percent disapproval rating)
- Multiple exclamation points in chat messages (47 percent disapprove)
- Lack of punctuation and grammar (46 percent disapprove)
- All lowercase words (41 percent disapprove)
- Excessive slang — LOL, BRB, WTF (40 percent disapprove)
Top five biggest digital flirting turnoffs for women
- Funky or very informal spelling (73 percent disapproval rating)
- Lack of punctuation and grammar (59 percent disapprove)
- Excessive slang (54 percent disapprove)
- Messages during sleeping hours (51 percent disapprove)
- All lowercase words (50 percent disapprove)
