Cellphone etiquette

CEBU, Philippines – Do you own a cell phone? What a random question to ask since practically everyone owns a cell phone, unless you’re a baby or something. We all know that the cell phone is the most used device now, basically because it’s the quickest way to send messages. Everything from business to gossip or to emergency information, the cell phone has been a very useful tool.

But do you know how to use a cellphone well? Sending messages aren’t that hard. All you gotta do is type and send. That easy! But there’s just one problem, what if the person from the other end of the line didn’t get what you were trying to say? Without the face-to-face talk, you might misinterpret the message sent to you. Most arguments between people are from misinterpretations when it comes to reading the messages and replying to it. A lot of people have experienced this, including me. To avoid this problem, here are tips from Nokia on how to communicate appropriately using your cellphone.

1. Use Emoticons.

Emoticons are smileys that appear in your cell phone if you are typing a smile. This is useful since this can show the mood of what you are saying. Typing a happy message can obviously be tied with a happy face or a sad message can be tied with a sad face. It depends on what the mood of the message is, but be sure to use the right one.

2. Avoid abbreviations that are not understandable.

Tl me, cn u read w? I’m writing? Translation: Tell me, can you read what I’m writing?

So, did you get it? If so, I’m guessing you text like that. But for those who didn’t get it, messages such as the example above can bring headaches to you. Texts like that are not advisable to be used. Writing like that damages your vocabulary. Too much use could make you forget the spelling of the words. So the next time you text, keep in mind the suffering you are giving to the one reading it. I know, writing the whole word can take you a long time but at least the reader won’t have to take pain pills.

3. Avoid too much use of CAPITALS.

All caps? You might sound too aggressive. In writing hellos and his, you don’t need to capitalize. In case you want to emphasize something, that’s the time you capitalize the words. Be sure to use wisely, it might mean something else to the reader.

4. Avoid using too many exclamation points.

What?!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, we get your point, you’re shocked but it’s too much. One exclamation point will do it. Excessive use of exclamation points might scare off your readers. Just like using capital letters, you might sound too aggressive. Using exclamation points only means that you’re shocked, very happy, angry, etc. but don’t overuse it. One exclamation point will show the vibe of your message, whether ecstatic or furious.

5. Make your point quickly.

Writing too many words can be dizzying. In writing one, you have to go straight to the point. The reader might get bored in reading the message before understanding the whole intention of writing it. It can save you your use of words and text space.

Happy texting!