What are textationships? According to Goal Auzeen Saedi from Psychology Today they are, “a nod to the current phenomenon of relationships based purely on texting.” Simply put, they’re flirty text messages without the brunt of commitment.
As college students, we may have all endured something similar to this. “So, are you in a relationship?” a family member may ask at a holiday dinner. Nodding your head, you respond, “why yes, I’m in this great textationship, Grandma.”
Now ponder this and ask yourself if this sounds right to you. With technology a force to be reckoned with in everyday life, our relationships have even become digitalized. Gone are the days when you and your significant other sit down for a face-to-face meal. Now we merely text those we like day and night and label that as a relationship. Why bother when there’s texting, right?
Wrong. “The issue of quality time and relationships that require genuine investment comes to the forefront. Ultimately, the relationships that involve true connection of the non-technological variety are the ones that will be most fulfilling,” Saedi adds.
Face-to-face interaction between a couple is a more solid foundation to the relationship. A relationship cannot be upheld solely through the use of texting. It requires engagement with the actual person present.
Coming from someone who has had their fair share of textationships, I can honestly say it’s not preferable. While I do prefer texting over phone conversations, in person interaction is a million times better. Not to mention worthwhile.
In textationships, you start to question why the person on the other end of the conversation won’t just ask you out, or even why they ignore you in person. (OK, I will admit that I do tend to ignore people I know sometimes, but not entirely on purpose.) Occasionally, textationships have the potential to fizzle out without any explanation as to why, and that is frustrating.
There are reasons as to why you may only be in a texting relationship. According to pairedlife.com, any of these could be the reason why: you are low on the texter’s list of potential partners, your texter isn’t the dating type, your texter is a player or your texter is not ready for a real relationship. Textationships are not always a good thing. They’re merely a form of flirty distraction that sometimes you can’t help but be swept away by. We’ve all been there; it’s nothing to feel guilty about.
Texting can be a good way to begin a relationship, but it doesn’t mean it should be the relationship. Texting lets couples get to know one another before eventually working their way to going on a date in person. If it’s a relationship based off texting, ask yourself if it’s really worth it.
