Left on read? Using abbreviations when texting might be to blame

Brb, ttyl, icymi — texting can have a language all its own. According to a new study, using that language may come with unexpected, negative consequences, however.

Published in Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, researchers facilitated eight experiments with more than 5,300 people and found texters using abbreviations were less likely to receive responses than those who used fully spelled words. Abbreviators were also seen as less sincere.

“In daily interactions, we often encounter people who could be considered good texters or poor texters,” lead researcher and Stanford University doctoral student David Fang said in a news release. “We thought texters might like abbreviations because it would convey an informal sense of closeness, so we were surprised that abbreviations elicited negative perceptions about people who use them.”

The researchers studied text conversations across 37 countries over several digital watercoolers, including Discord and dating apps like Tinder. A whopping 99% of respondents said they used abbreviations in texts, and 84% said they doubted other texters disliked abbreviations.

“While our overall results on age were mixed, it’s clear that younger people are not particularly fond of abbreviations, though the strength of this aversion may vary by age,” Fang said.

The researchers explained in the study that abbreviators were negatively affected because they were likely seen as putting in a lower level of effort than those who spelled out their words.

“We often tailor the effort we put into conversations to match the significance of the relationship,” Fang added. “In some cases, it makes sense to invest less effort and accept being perceived as less sincere, like quickly texting with a delivery driver. However, our findings are especially relevant when we want to appear more sincere and strengthen social ties, such as at the beginning of a relationship or when we need to make a good impression.”

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