Text messages, e-mails, and instant messages are the most common forms, today, of sharing news and communicating with others on a daily basis. The messages are brief and use an abbreviated form of English. They can also be a quick and fun way to contact family and friends. However, there are some drawbacks that one should be aware of.

Here is the etiquette for the use of instant messaging:

• One can get carried away with texting and e-mails, and waste hours instant messaging when they could be doing productive activities
• It is not polite to text our friends when it causes us to ignore the people we are with
• Spending time with family, in school, attending activities, participating in a sport, sitting down to a meal, socializing in a group, or watching a movie are NOT times to start sending messages
• It is polite to give our undivided attention to the people we are with.
• We use clipped grammar when we write text messages, but that does not mean we can discard good grammar. Good grammar is vital to good communication and should be a priority when speaking and in the written word

Note: Nothing replaces good face-to-face communication. Part of the fun of life is being with people and sharing.

And don’t forget to remember your manners when texting in public.

While out at a restaurant to other day, I happened to notice a small group of people at another table. They were chatting together while waiting for their meals to arrive.

Suddenly, a cell phone chirped and one of the people in the group checked their phone, chuckled at a text message they had received, and then, without a word to the others, typed a response to the message and placed the phone on the table before returning to the conversation.

“the situation reminded me of two people whispering to each other while in the company of a larger group of people”

A few moments later, the phone chirped again and the person responded to another message while ignoring the people at their table. This routine repeated itself at regular intervals throughout their meal.

Technology aside, the situation reminded me of two people whispering to each other while in the company of a larger group of people. Holding a private conversation, whether through text or in hushed tones, while in the presence of others is extremely poor manners and is disrespectful to the people you are with.

Good etiquette requires that when you are with other people, you turn off your cell phone and text messaging. If you are waiting for an urgent message and must respond, excuse yourself from the group and find a quiet location to respond to the message. If more discussion is needed, it is best to call the person to resolve the issue rather than letting text messages continue to disrupt the people you are with.