Why do they do that?: Guys Ask Girls

Why do girls always have to go to the bathroom together?

Why can’t girls just tell you why they’re mad?

If you’re a guy you’ve probably asked these questions before, and I must say, I don’t blame you. Sometimes we girls do downright bizarre things that are almost unexplainable. I asked a few friends to let me know what questions they had about girls’ behavior with a promise that we would answer to the best of our ability. Using a handy Flip Video Camcorder, I made this short video in hopes to clear up some confusion.

Stay tuned- later this week we’ll get to hear what kind of answers the guys had for the girls!

TXT: “I Love You”

Does your relationship look like this?

Photo by ejbSF

How many conversations do you have with your significant other through text messaging? Are you in a long distance relationship where you text more than talk? Do you fight over text message?

Even though texting is a relatively recent craze in terms of relationship communication, there are already a plethora of opinions on the big question: Is texting healthy in relationships?

We will start with “no.”

About.com has just about everything about just about everything including a section on dating and relationships. Their article, “The Do’s and Don’ts of Texting in Relationships,” doesn’t necessarily argue the negative side but it offers a dense set of rules to follow. First in the list is don’t guess:

“ If a message is cryptic or vague, wait until you’re face to face with the sender to ask what the heck they were talking about.”

Also, they advise couples not to argue over text message either:

“Sure, you can express general frustration with a ‘Grrrr…’ or a ‘Humph’ or a ‘Ugh,’ but pick up the phone to hash things out. Attempt to resolve a volatile situation in 25-character bursts and you’ll create a hot mess that will be hell to clean up.”

Helen Richardson of helium.com says that texting in relationships is a minefield. “When it comes to texting, many people try to cram as much meaning into as few words as possible, like a telegram. This leads to much confusion.” In her article, she says that her and her husband of fifteen years still argue over the meaning of their e-mails and text messages.

photo by me and the sysop

I realize I have been unfair to the opposite sex in that most of my interviews, surveys, and polls feature mostly women. So, in the interest of fairness: askmen.com. Their relationship rules article about text messaging emphasize the importance of not texting about anything big issue i.e. fears, anger, uncertainties about the relationship.  Also, another what seems to be strangely sensitive area talked about in the article: never breaking up with someone via text.

And now in support of texting in relationships.

From the do’s section of about.com‘s article, recommends to texts very brief messages or sweet nothings to your significant other during the day as a way to stay in contact without being overbearing. “A short text like ‘Hey, qt,’ or ‘Hope ur havin a gr8 day,’  can make your significant other suddenly happier to see you when you get home.” According to the article, 52% of people they surveyed about texting messaging say that they would rather receive a “thinking of you” text messages more than any other kind.

I asked a close friend, Jessica, how she feels about dating in a long distance relationship (her boyfriend lives in Colorado) and she is fully in support of texting to communicate during the day. She says it makes their relationship feel more normal now that they live so far apart.

“I used to share the insignificant details of my life with Brad. If something stupid happened, I would tell him. Right then and there. I can still do that through texting and it makes the distance easier. When someone cuts me off in traffic or I watch a bad movie, Brad is gonna hear about it”

Take home lessons: when texting a lover, keep it short, keep it sweet. Save the big conversations for face-to-face.