The Nine Rules of Group Text Etiquette

So, this has been happening. 

A group text with a bazillion people pops up on my phone. There will be one name that I recognize, the rest will be just phone numbers of people who I do not know. And then a considerable amount of time is spent trying to suss out who’s who. 

The diplomatic people who don’t want to be bothered will mute and ignore the thread so as not to be bombarded with the subsequent onslaught of unwanted messages. 

The non-diplomats will see this as an act of war and angrily demand to be removed from the group immediately. They may even threaten to sue for damages; emotional distress and irritation.

The original sender will be perplexed as to why someone they haven’t spoken to in months or years isn't thrilled to be included in a personal mass group exchange.


So, briefly, here are nine rules of group text etiquette. I’m sure there are more. My preferences are numbers one, three, five, seven, and nine.

The Nine Rules of Group Text Etiquette

1. Don’t group text.
2. Consider that not everyone has each others’ numbers, so introduce yourself and the whole group from the start.
3. Don’t group text.
4. If you want to check on several people, consider texting them individually. Cut and paste. You have the time.
5. Don’t group text.
6. If you know someone despises group texts, don't add them unless it’s absolutely necessary. If you *don’t* know how they feel then...
7. Don’t group text.
8. The smaller the group the better; three to five people max. Better yet… 
9. Don’t group text.