Textual Analysis

Texting is awesome, especially in the early stages of dating. It’s nonchalant, it’s breezy. Since it doesn’t require instantaneous response, it allows for thoughtfully crafted replies to lure your potential interest, as opposed to awkwardly babbling voicemails that make them rethink calling you back (maybe that’s just me?)

This time buffer allows for strategic communications decisions to be made - perhaps a little sass or wit is the right plan of attack, maybe something a little more direct is needed to really get your point across. Or maybe you decide that the text you just received deserves no response at all. Fair enough.

But one of my favorite parts of text message courtship is the end result - an analyzable transcript to provide insight into where things might be headed. Here are some main factors to keep in mind when deciding whether a guy is worth pursuing:

• Any major red flags or high creepy factor levels that immediately rise to the surface during the make-it or break-it communication directly after your initial interaction. Let’s say, for example, you meet someone at a bar for a short period of time and he gets your number. You thought he was cute but don’t know much about him. You have a vague recollection of thinking he might have been kind of lame/a womanizer/not your type/etc. but you can’t remember because you were drunk. So in order to overcome the poor first impression you associate with him, these texts are the deciding factor. Most people get weeded out here.

• His apparent interest in you based on how frequently he texts, if he initiates specific plans, his average length of response time to your texts, what time of day/night he texts you, etc. There are often plenty of clues to know if it’s worth your time to keep liking someone, but most girls (me included) tend to overlook these glaring factors. The original FH took on average 36 hours to respond to texts. Uh, hello, red flag?!

• The caliber of the banter based on his repartee skills, the level of sass you feel comfortable using, the development of a few small personal jokes or inclusion of follow ups to previous conversations. You need someone thoughtful and willing enough to flirt via SMS in order to vie for your attention. I personally need someone who thinks I’m funny. If he doesn’t appreciate my text humor, he probably won’t get the real life version either.

A brief analysis of these three categories will offer a basic idea about whether or not this guy is worth your time. Although following the suggested advice is often easier said than done...believe me.