The Rise of Textationships

Texting has become a staple in our society. It’s how we communicate with friends, family, and romantic partners. We share our deepest thoughts and feelings with them via text, which helps us remain in contact with them in unexpected emergencies or lockdowns.

However, in the new age of social networks and dating apps, there’s a new type of relationship that’s formed. It’s called a textationship. A textationship is defined as a relationship that’s mainly based on texting and little to no face-to-face interaction.

Texting is a supremely secretive medium of communication — it’s like passing a note — and this means we should be very careful what we use it for. — Lynne Truss 

Part I: Analyzing a Textantionship

What is a textationship?

Textationships are becoming more and more common these days. What is a textationship, you ask? It is basically a relationship that is conducted mainly through text messages.

Is it possible to fall in love just by texting?

According to a study reported by Venngage, it is doubtful to fall in love with a person just by texting. Nonetheless, after an hour of texting, over 80% of participants provided contact information, and nearly half said they would certainly communicate with each other afterward.

As a result, it is simple to express sentiments of love for each other while texting; however, it comes at the expense of sacrificing an understanding of emotions on a deeper level.

What are the pros of a textationship?

• Textationships can be a great way to get to know someone.
• You can text each other all day long without worrying about things like body language or awkward silences.
• Texting also gives you time to think about what you want to say before you say it, so you can avoid saying something that might make the other person uncomfortable.
• Long-distance relationships are often conducted through the text, so if you’re in a textationship, it can be a way to test the waters of a long-distance relationship without actually being in one.
• It can be great for social distancing.

What are the cons of a textationship?

• Textationships can be tricky because it’s easy to misread someone’s tone over text.
• You might start developing feelings for someone you’ve never even met in person.
• Textationships can also be one-sided, with one person doing most of the talking and the other person only responding occasionally.
• If you’re in a textationship and something goes wrong, it can be easy to stop responding to the other person’s texts rather than dealing with the issue head-on.
• You also might not be getting the whole story from your partner when you’re only communicating through text.

Part II: The Signs

10. Small Talk

In a healthy relationship, you’ll have deep conversations and small talk. But in a textationship, it seems like all you ever talk about is the weather or what you’re having for dinner.

9. No Plans

When you’re in a real relationship, making time to see each other is essential. But if you’re in a textationship, you might not ever make plans to meet up. You’re content with just texting all day and night.

8. Lack of True Emotions

In a textationship, it’s rare to have any conversations about your emotions or how you’re feeling. This is because it’s much easier to hide behind a screen than to open up in person.

7. Unknown Knowledge of Their Relatives

One of the signs that you’re in a textationship is if you’ve never met each other’s friends or family members. In a real relationship, meeting the people who are essential to your partner is part of getting to know them better.

6. No Commitment

Textationships are usually pretty casual, and there’s no real commitment involved. If you’ve been dating someone for a while and they still haven’t introduced you to their friends or family, it’s a sign that they’re not ready to take the relationship to the next level.

5. Unreal Engagement

In a textationship, conversations tend to be superficial and don’t go any deeper than what’s happening on the surface. You might talk about your day or what you’re doing, but you don’t really get into any meaningful discussions.

4. Surplus of Emojis

If your texts consist primarily of emojis and one-word answers, it’s a sign that you’re in a textationship. You’re not really putting any effort into your conversations, and you’re not saying much of substance.

3. “It’s Just a Hobby.”

People usually text when they’re bored or have nothing else to do. If you only ever text your partner when you’re bored, it’s a sign that the relationship isn’t significant.

2. A One-Sided Relationship

In a healthy relationship, both partners are equally invested in the relationship and put forth equal effort. But in a textationship, it often feels like one person is doing all the work while the other doesn’t really care about the relationship.

1. Unserious Conversations

If you’ve never had a serious conversation with your partner, it’s likely because you’re in a textationship. Serious discussions require more effort than just sending a few texts back and forth, so if you’ve never had one, it’s a sign that your relationship isn’t profound.

The Bottom Line

Textationships can be fun and easy, but they’re not always the best way to develop a meaningful relationship. If you’re in a textationship, see if you can take it to the next level by meeting up in person or talking on the phone.

Furthermore, if you find yourself in a textationship that’s one-sided or feels superficial, it might be time to move on.

“It’s easy to blame technology for what we perceive to be a vast disconnect between people. We’re so wrapped up in social media, texting, online dating — in many ways, we’re addicted to our devices.” — Saroo Brierley

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This post was previously published on MEDIUM.COM.

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