After a night out of drinking and partying the first thing I reach for, aside from the Advil, is my phone. Scrambling through BBM’s, Facebook messages, and texts to make sure I didn’t say anything that would be require me to hide under a rock for the rest of my life. Thankfully nothing was sent (this week that is), but it begs me to ask the question, why do girls love to send drunken texts even though it can only bring embarrassment?
There have been multiple occasions when I have either jumped for joy that I had the resistance to stay away from the phone or buried my face in a pillow agonizing over the stupid things I said while drunk. Sending a drunken text is something that I am guilty of, but I have been trying to stop (seriously, it was my New Year’s Resolution) because it only leads to embarrassment and shame for my lack of self-control.
Sending a drunken text isn’t the same as accidentally telling a friend an embarrassing story or falling down the stairs. They can haunt you forever. Not only do you have to look at it the next morning, it’s stored in someone else’s phone. You’ll erase it from your phone and attempt to erase it from your mind, but the receiver might not be so generous.
I wish I knew why alcohol has the power to make all inhibitions disappear and release your true feelings like butterflies. I’m sure there is some scientific explanation about it but I was never good at science. When the drinks start flowing, people do things they would never do sober (i.e. dance on a table). Pulling out your phone to let your ex-boyfriend know that deep down you miss him so much seems like the right thing to do, especially when you’re feeling extremely literate. Here’s the problem with that, the words aren’t perfect and you probably look desperate so this is my recommendation for you: PUT DOWN THE PHONE.
If you really want to talk to this person and tell them how you’re feeling, wait until tomorrow, when you have a clear head and can really think about what you want to share. Since it’s the weekend, there’s a strong possibility that the person you’re texting is drunk too and it can only lead to bad things when two drunk people start texting each other.
There is one thing I want to clarify: not all drunken texts are bad. If you are texting a person of interest about meeting up on campus to hang out, then by all means text away, who am I to stop you from having a good time? Just be smart about it. Don’t suggest or say you want something more when all you want to do is hang out. Just because your drunk, it doesn’t give you the excuse to lead people on and exaggerate your feelings. Remember we’re dealing with people here, with real human feelings.
So if you’re like me and want to stop sending the drunken text, there are some steps that have to be taken.
- Rename the sender– when I decided that enough was enough with sending a person a drunken text, I renamed the contact as “DO NOT TEXT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.” When I was drunk and went to text that person, not only did I completely forget that I renamed the contact, but it reminded myself that the purpose of the night was to be with friends, not with my fingers glued to my “crack berry.”
- Don’t leave your phone at home to avoid it-When going out, one of the dumbest things you can do is to leave your phone at home just to avoid the drunken text. Your safety is the most important thing. Don’t compromise staying in touch with your friends to stop yourself from texting.
- Avoid the single blues-if you’re at a party and your friends have hit it off with some of the male attendants, don’t use your phone to make yourself feel more comfortable/important. When things get uncomfortable, many people resort to their phones to pretend their busy or waste time. Don’t do that. The reality of the situation is that even if you didn’t find Prince Charming tonight, parties are not only for finding hook ups. When alcohol is involved, we become friendlier, so take this opportunity as a chance to meet new people by putting yourself out there. You never know, the girl you meet that night might have a single, cute, older brother.
- Remind yourself-don’t spend the night wallowing in self pity, but if you feel the urge to send the text, remind yourself of why that person is no longer a significant part of your life. There has to be a reason why you and your boyfriend broke up, or why you old hook up buddy is no longer a hook up buddy. Take a minute to yourself and remember. After you have, rejoin your friends and have the time of your life.
Overall, the solution to your problem is just putting down the phone and focusing on the positive. Don’t become the girl who is known as having her phone glued to her hand. Put it away and enjoy yourself. If the person texts you, laugh it off with your girlfriends because the ball if now in your court, but deal with it tomorrow. Not only will that drive him crazy, knowing that he sent a text and you didn’t answer, but it will give you the opportunity to show him that your life doesn’t revolve around him, it revolves around you.