Texting Etiquette : Email or Phone?

I consider myself tech-savvy and old enough to have witnessed an evolution of text messaging as a means of communication. Early adopter attitudes about text messaging seem to have made it akin to e-mail messaging. You can send an e-mail at any time of the day and expect they'll receive it when ever is most opportune for the receiver. I guess I have this attitude because I turn off my cell phone when I have no need for it, eg- in the middle of the night. Or on some occasions I will put it to a form of reduced sound mode, where only phone calls and alarm clocks will sound. My first cell phone with text-messaging enabled didn't even offer the ability for sound notification.

This, it seems, is no longer the normal use for text messaging. Rather, text messaging is an instantaneous communication to some and the same rules of "no calls after 9 (or whatever), no calls before 8" apply.

It seems to be a quirk of growing divergence in mental models of standard communication. To some...the text message has replaced the function of a phone call, rather than fit into its own niche of communication.

The question -- to you -- what is the proper modern etiquette on text-message usage?

 

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I don't text because I just call those I want to communicate with and if they don't answer I just leave a message for them to call me back.

 

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Umm...it really depends on the person for me...my girlfriend I will text anytime, anywhere, even the middle of the night. My close friends I will text usually 7am to 11pm. For texts, it is like email, I respond whenever its convenient, but I always leave my phone on except for after I sleep I turn it off to charge and during school, I put it on vibrate.

 

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