Once upon a time, texting had rules. You replied within a respectable time frame, used caps lock, and thought twice before sending three dots (…) because it felt way too intense. Fast forward to 2025, and those rules are out the window. We live in a time where ghosting is casual, emojis double as therapy, and voice notes are basically audio essays. Texting has transformed into a whole new language where tone, timing, and energy are negotiated in memes, GIFs, and the occasional strategically placed period.
Seen. Left on read. Survived.
The old “reply within an hour” courtesy has been replaced by a new reality: people reply when they have the brain—and emotional—bandwidth. Between work group chats, meme dumps, and a dozen “where are we eating?” threads, late responses aren’t crimes—they’re survival. Still, that mini heart attack when you see “read 2:07 pm” with no reply? Totally relatable. Sometimes silence is just bandwidth.
The period problem
Punctuation has gone rogue. A simple “sure.” no longer reads neutral—it reads icy. “K” used to be the villain, but now even the humble period is suspect. Three exclamation marks? Desperate. Zero punctuation? Mad. The solution? Emojis, memes, GIFs—basically anything but grammar. Texting has become an art form where tone is crafted digitally.
Hello voice notes
Voice notes are the ultimate love-hate feature. Some swear by their efficiency, others see them as modern torture. Nobody asked for your six-minute audio recap while they’re on the train, bestie. Unspoken rule? Keep it short—or give a heads-up. Pro tip: if you can type it, maybe just…type it.
Ghosting: The new RSVP
Ghosting has evolved from awkward to normalised. Didn’t respond to that acquaintance asking to hang? Ghosted. Forgot a group project reply? Ghosted. Even friends do it now—and somehow, it’s not the end of the world. For Gen Z, ghosting isn’t always cruel; sometimes it’s just emotional energy management. Harsh, but true.
The New Etiquette (Yes, There Is One)
If the old rules are dead, what’s next? Here’s your unofficial guide to surviving modern texting.
Reply when you can, but don’t over-apologise; life’s busy, notifications are chaotic, and everyone gets it. Don’t weaponise punctuation; if you’re mad, say so instead of dropping a cold “fine.” Use emojis as tone indicators: a crying-laughing face can save a sentence from sounding harsh. Voice notes? Ask first and keep them under two minutes unless you’re launching a podcast. And above all, respect different communication styles, some live in DMs, others hate texting, so adapt instead of taking it personally.
So, is etiquette really dead? Not exactly. It’s just shifting. The old rulebook was about politeness; the new one is about empathy. Gen Z has turned texting into a whole new language, one where context matters more than timing and consideration more than grammar.
At the end of the day, texting isn’t about being proper—it’s about connection. And if that means your best friend replies three days later with nothing but a sarcastic one-liner? That’s just the new normal.
Lead image credit: IMDb
Also read: Your Guide to Never Being Stuck in a Dry Texting Convo Again
Also read: I Thought I Hated Texting, but I Was Just Doing It Wrong
