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.