We stare at our phones more than we actually realize. A bubble of three dots appears, then disappears, then appears, then disappears once more. It leaves us hanging on the edge of a precipice, our brains spiraling, wondering about the message that was typed and then deleted.

As someone born into a generation exposed to social media from a young age, I'm so accustomed to it that I don’t see the changes texting has had on my lifestyle.

Yes, texting does have its benefits, such as allowing people to stay in touch over long distances and being more convenient and efficient. But considering these benefits, what subtle, overlooked consequences accompany these positives?

Texts and emojis have become a common occurrence in our lives, but their impact goes beyond simple communication. They’ve created situations where texts and emojis are heavily overanalyzed and misunderstood, and they have altered our preferences for communication.

Tendencies to overanalyze even brief messages are evident in everyday communication. A text response with the single letter “K” instead of “Okay” may seem like an abrupt and dismissive response; in some cases, the ambiguity leads to overthinking and overanalyzing. Was the texter trying to hint at their anger, or was it just laziness prompting them to press one letter? The context gaps that simple texts create can result in overextended assumptions that may lead to further conflict.

Along with texts, emojis, as nonverbal cues, also carry the possibility of misunderstandings. Baylor University’s communication professor, Dr. Scott J. Varda, claims that, admittedly, emojis enhance the emotional quality of texting, though in some situations, generational differences may lead to misunderstandings. For example, he explains that “some older emoji users think of the thumbs-up emoji as conveying ‘I agree,’ ‘good work’ or ‘it’s a plan!’ – while younger emoji users understand the same emoji as denoting a passive-aggressive, sarcastic or even outright rude response.” This difference in emoji interpretations, instead of communicating emotions more clearly, actually adds another layer of ambiguity, reinforcing the cycle of overthinking already present in conversations.

Emoticons, the ancestors of emojis, use symbols to represent facial expressions, such as “:)” or “>:(,” and also have a similar impact on how viewers perceive texts. Unlike emojis, emoticons present facial expressions sideways. According to a study conducted by researchers Isabelle Boutet et al., “emoticons lack several key features of facial expressions that, as such, may not convey emotional signals as effectively.” The rotated, sideways representation of emoticons is also an inaccurate portrayal of human faces, which may interfere with direct emotional signaling.

As the reach of social media continues to widen, there is also an increasing social pressure to respond immediately. As Lia Zneimer writes on Medium, we have grown more and more dependent on instant gratification, which can often feel like a burden. Some social media platforms include a function that informs the sender when the recipient has viewed the message, further contributing to the pressure of responding instantly, despite other priorities. Social expectations surrounding texting can also include pressures to text in a certain way, whether you want to seem “lighthearted and flirtatious, but not too flaky,” or “interested, but not desperate.”

Personally, I’ve realized that I prefer communicating with friends online rather than talking to them in person. Especially in arguments, I would rather sort things out over rapid-fire texts than argue face-to-face and have my emotions overwhelm me. However, while this may seem like a good way to always have a well-thought-out response, I’ve noticed that I shy away from confrontations or avoid standing up for myself in person. According to GoodTherapy, this may be attributed to the way more teens have become uncomfortable with “slow-paced, in-person communication.”

Additionally, since texts are often single-sentence thoughts, they can represent surface-level conversations that fail to develop into ongoing, progressively deeper conversations. GoodTherapy claims that texting increases the frequency of small talk, and while this can allow the formation of new friendships, people who text frequently may not have insightful and meaningful discussions. Are the relationships that we form online really genuine connections, or are they just superficial ones that lack real emotional depth?

The solution is not to completely abandon texting. Digital communication is extremely useful and sometimes necessary in daily life. However, we need to be more aware of how dependent we have become on this communication style and how it has impacted our real-world, interpersonal connections. Instead of obsessing over delayed responses or hidden meanings behind emojis, we should actively make time for face-to-face conversations, even when they feel uncomfortable or inconvenient.

Stop trying to overcomplicate and decode one-letter text messages or misinterpret inaccurate emojis, and actually go talk to your friends face-to-face — or, in the internet’s words, “go touch grass.”

This Article was edited by Head Editor Yusuf Eltom