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Wellness > Sex + Relationships

Real Live College Guy Joel: What It Means When He Starts Texting You Less Often

Desperately trying to understand the inscrutable mind of the college male? Real Live College Guy Joel (replete with a name way cooler than those of RLCGs Joe and Joey) is here to help you out, call you out, write you a poem to show you’re great and to stop worrying, etc. From major emotional drama to the minutiae of social interaction, use him as your one-stop shop for guy advice.

The rules of texting seem completely bizarre to me. I get the whole “seem unavailable by not texting him” thing and all, but lately he’s stopped texting me as frequently as he had been, and it’s majorly freaking me out. Instead of being too proud and stubborn, is it a big deal to reach out to him to try to make a plan? Once that’s done I expect to leave it up to him to reach out to me to figure out said plan. Is it bad to not text for periods of time? Is that a sign that a relationship is losing its spark? -Freakin’ Out at Florida State

Freakin’ Out,

The rules of texting seem completely bizarre because they are bizarre. You are correct. If you like someone you should be able to be open about that, although you always have to be conscious about giving a guy space. If you “seem unavailable,” he might decide to look at a girl who seems available. Girls get scared of being seen as clingy, so they don’t take any initiative, and occasionally that might make a guy lose interest.

Not texting for periods of time doesn’t necessarily mean anything. This guy may just be busy with real things, as opposed to obsessing over electronic communication. This isn’t grounds for freaking out, but don’t be afraid to take more initiative to keep the momentum going, especially since it sounds as if you’ve been dating. You definitely ought to text him. Do not, do not say anything about how he’s been incommunicado. In fact, apologize for yourself, saying you’ve been really busy and that’s why you’ve been out of touch. He may respond warmly and things will progress nicely from there. So I agree with your idea. You can and should be the one to initiate once in a while. If you’re initiating multiple times, he’s most likely no longer interested, although something besides a dearth of texts would then be at work. I repeat, this isn’t a huge deal, but don’t be afraid to put yourself out there to get a better grasp of what may be going on.

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As the Senior Designer, Kelsey is responsible for the conceptualization and design of solutions that support and strengthen Her Campus on all levels. While managing junior designers, Kelsey manages and oversees the creative needs of Her Campus’s 260+ chapters nationwide and abroad. Passionate about campaign ideation and finding innovative design solutions for brands, Kelsey works closely with the client services team to develop integrated marketing and native advertising campaigns for Her Campus clients such as Macy’s, UGG, Merck, Amtrak, Intel, TRESemmé and more. A 2012 college graduate, Kelsey passionately pursued English Literature, Creative Writing and Studio Art at Skidmore College. Born in and native to Massachusetts, Kelsey supplements creative jewelry design and metal smithing with a passion for fitness and Boston Bruins hockey. Follow her on Twitter: @kelsey_thornFollow her on Instagram: @kelsey_thorn