Related Recs

📱

Texing back

We don’t write letters anymore so I think that texting is the closest we have to regular written communication (which I actually value and enjoy in moderation).  I see and feel the downsides to texting too much. And I have done a lot of work on responding to people slower and taking more thought and time into it. With this said, I have noticed that many of my friends will initiate conversations with me only to never respond.    I think the ways you communicate can be important examples of how you’re considering your loved ones. 

@valoorie

Nov 21, 2024

📲

Repeated exposure over and over again

I’ve been the worst at texting throughout my entire life and even still part of me resents the idea that I should be available for constant communication (but I tell her to shut up because I do actually enjoy connecting with my friends all of whom live far away). I had a new friend who would text me constantly and at first I thought it was annoying but eventually I got used to it (then I went back to thinking it was really annoying but that was a her being annoying problem). I became really good at texting back and now I’m the person who assaults my friends who tell me they want to get better at texting with regular text messages. I stopped interacting with my friends as much through our weird obscure social media app and started just texting them directly. When I think about someone or if there’s something I think they need to hear from me I text them! I’m also in a very high-volume group chat with two of my best friends. It’s something that I think only gets better with constant practice and action and intention! I also think it’s worth just setting clear boundaries around text communication that sometimes or even oftentimes you are not going to respond right away. People know that I’m pretty busy and I’ll talk to them when I have time. And I make good use of heart/thumbs up/exclamation point reacts to show that I’m paying attention without replying ASAP. And try schedule sending texts if you don’t want to text right away and have to deal with more replies lol! Also sometimes if I don’t feel like typing I send my friends voice messages and we often end up in a chain of voice messages from there like role playing executives and employees at a factory in the Deep South that explodes and devastates the town and then being the newscasters covering the story and then being waitresses and patrons at Merlotte’s from True Blood gossiping about it. Or whatever.

@taterhole

Oct 19, 2024

🎁

offer them something better

this may not be in any way applicable to your situations: what if you were to reply letting them know you got the message, you want to connect, but texting just isn't working for you — and instead could they Facetime or do a phone call or something realtime? When I send you a text message or a whatsapp or signal or one of the many others then I am essentially giving you homework/an assignment. I put something in your inbox—on your to do list. Now you have to deal with this thing. My message, or insane flurry of messages, is going to sit there taunting and shaming you. I've been part of so many group messaging threads and they can just become so way too much to point I can't even engage in that medium. So I love the idea of communicating in a way that doesn't put a burden of response on someone—because it is happening in realtime. Instant messaging can be exhausting whereas a phone call or video chat can be life-giving. And when it is over, then it is over.

@mattshawsome

Oct 19, 2024

Top Recs from @vivi

🗿

Calling ppl boss

Like Bruce Springsteen

@vivi

STAFF

Jan 24, 2024

⚙️

coke zero

INDUSTRIAL SLUDGE. GORGEOUS METALLIC FLAVOR. MAKES ME FEEL LIKE A WELL OILED MACHINE

@vivi

STAFF

Nov 4, 2023

🔎

Going underground

When the bar or venue or whatever is underground and you have to descend into the place because you can say some shit like “We are entering the seedy underbelly of this wicked city” “You know,” *cig drag* “crime is only a left-handed form of human endeavor.” And then your friends can be like “Viv, you can’t smoke inside Dude also where the fuck did you find a pipe and a fedora What are you even saying” Giving you the opportunity to respond with a “Beat it toots, you’re too pretty for these streets anyhow” Then you remember your friend already offered to pay for the Uber XL home and you have like 11 bucks so you drop the bit but the sentiment is still there below the surface

@vivi

STAFF

Jan 29, 2024