As instant messaging, texting, and other forms of digital communication have become the norm, the casual use of emojis, abbreviations and generally unprofessional language has permeated everyday life. Whether its an “lol” thrown at the end of every other sentence or the poop emoji, the age of professional communication is dwindling before our very eyes. However, despite this collective casual attitude towards texting, one study has found that a single bad text could have serious implications for the future of your career.
According to a recent survey, sending a bad text, particularly in a workplace environment, can lead to professional consequences and even bullying. Even worse, the survey found that nearly one third of respondents had made someone close to them upset by sending a text that they wished they could take back.
“As we use messaging more frequently in the workplace, it isn’t surprising that we’ve seen an increase in messaging mistakes,” said Maci Peterson, founder of On Second Thought. “What was interesting is that an innocuous mistake made when texting friends and family can be costly and career-ending when communicating with colleagues or professional contacts.”
This is far from a small problem. 84 percent of respondents sent more than ten text messages a day, making for a lot of opportunities to send something insensitive, rude, or just plain poorly spelled. Plus, with nearly half of the respondents saying that they regularly text with colleagues, professional acquaintances and even bosses, a bad text could do a lot more than push someone away; it could get you fired, or worse, made fun of during a meeting.
The survey was conducted by On Second Thought, a messaging app whose patented technology lets users take back text messages before they get to the other person’s phone. They surveyed 1,000 people to get these answers. And with 74 percent of them having immediately regretted sending a text at some point in their life, it stands to reason that this was clearly a match made in heaven.
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