Don't Use Abbreviations When Writing

Shortcuts will save a bit of time, but they will also worsen relationships.

I always felt texting abbreviations would make people like me less.

And now I finally got the confirmation - someone has done the research.

Using abbreviations while texting (e.g. “thx”, “idk”, “btw”, “tbh”, etc.) compared to writing the same message in full makes people:

• Believe you’re putting less effort into the conversation

• Perceive the message as less sincere and less worthy of a reply

Researchers David Fang, Eileen Zhang, and Sam J. Maglio recently published a paper showing, across 8 different studies, the negative effects of using texting abbreviations.

This study is among the first to explore the social and psychological consequences of texting abbreviations.

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What counts as a texting abbreviation?

Texting abbreviations are a form of abbreviated language used 🗺️ globally 🗺️ .
These could be:

• orthographic abbreviations (e.g. msg for message)

• phonological abbreviations (e.g. thanx for thanks)

• acronyms (e.g. idk for I don’t know)

• shortenings (e.g. Feb for February)

• accent stylizations (e.g. dat for that)

• single letter or number homophones (e.g. u for you)

Great example of accent stylizations, and one of my favorite memes.

We might believe these shortcuts convey a sense of closeness - after all, we use them with friends and colleagues all the time.

In fact, in a preliminary survey, 99% of respondents said they used abbreviations, and 84% didn’t think others would mind.

But the findings tell a different story.

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🔬 Key Findings

Texters who used abbreviations experienced:

• Shorter responses

• Fewer responses

• Lower likelihood to receive contact information from the other person

For example, in one experiment, participants¹ were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: abbreviated text messages vs. full-text messages in 12 commonly discussed topics (e.g. movies, school, work, politics, future plans, etc.).

Example of conversations on movies

Participants perceived abbreviated texts as:

• 📉 10% less sincere

• 📉 10% less likely to solicit a reply

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The image above sound unrealistic?
Believe me, some people actually write like this.

If you’re still not convinced, in another study they used real text conversations, and the results were even more dramatic:

• the perceived sincerity of abbreviated messages was 📉 40% lower compared to full-text messages

• the likelihood to continue the conversation was 📉 31% lower

• participants perceived the other’s effort to be 📉 18% lower for abbreviated messages

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And when researchers tested these effects across all six recognized abbreviation types, response rates for abbreviated messages were 📉 25% lower.

Response rates were lower for nearly all abbreviation types (see figure below) except for the phonological abbreviation condition (e.g. thanx instead of thanks).

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🧠 Why this happens?

These negative effects arise because abbreviations signal a lower level of effort from the sender.

Using abbreviations signals lower effort from the sender, which recipients interpret as insincerity or lack of investment in the conversation.

This aligns with social exchange theory, which says that relational perceptions depend on the cost-benefit balance within a relationship.

When one party puts in less effort, the other subconsciously adjusts by reducing their own. For example, if a friend stops messaging us, we're likely to respond less or stop altogether, gradually weakening the relationship.

It’s a vicious cycle:

abbreviated texts → lower effort perception → lower quality responses → weaker connections.

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If you like science-based insights, you might also like these:

• The words we use to be more persuasive

• Saying “thank you” is better than saying “sorry”

• How to get more creative ideas

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Wrapping up

These findings emphasize the importance of language choices in shaping perceptions and relationships - especially in computer-mediated communication.

Abbreviations can surely save time, however they can also negatively influence interpersonal perceptions.

🎁 Takeaway: We should more strategically construct text messages and avoid abbreviations in order to form better impressions.

This can lead to:

• More effective and empathetic communication

• Stronger relationships

• Better work environments.

Next time you send a message on Slack, think twice before using “thx” instead of “thanks”.

Your working relationships might thank you.

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See you all next Sunday 🗓️
Thanks,
Giacomo

1. Participants were western adult English speakers. Given that texting patterns vary across cultures, there is a possibility that the findings may not generalize across other languages or cultures.