Holiday PSA: How to Thank Someone Best? Just Text!
New research shows that a thank you text message could be an act of gratitude that’s as effective and impactful as anything — so put your device to work this holiday season!
The season of giving — and giving thanks — is upon us. We all have that running list in our head of people to thank, but if we’re being honest, year to year we often come up short. And to nod to that age-old axiom, our best intentions could pave a road classic rock stalwarts AC/DC could wrap a devilish chorus around.
But what was holding us back from putting our best foot forward when it comes to saying thanks in a meaningful way may have all along simply been procedural.
Look, we’re not knocking that great Emily of etiquette and her penchant for sending a post, but when it comes to a simple show of gratitude there’s no need for lack of a stamp and envelope to get in your way.
An impactful thank you, it seems, can be as easy as something almost all of us do several times a day — sending a text.
New research shows that expressing gratitude via text message is nearly as impactful as a face-to-face thank you. Moreover, sending a text might be an even more effective message method for expressing your appreciation when you feel embarrassed or awkward about thanking someone in person. Not to mention, sending that simple text, research also shows, can help us feel more connected and boost feelings of well-being, thereby making people feel less lonely — truly positive news after the last two years of so many of us being separated and feeling so apart.
And recent data from T-Mobile suggests many of us may already be in on this act of device kindness. Year over year, from Thanksgiving 2019 to Thanksgiving 2020, texting was up 21%. Additionally, as more people turn to texts for the holidays, T-Mobile also found a 20% increase in texting at Christmas and a 5% bump at New Year’s, which is still impressive given how popular texting has been on New Year’s historically. And expectations are that those numbers will only increase this year.
So don’t let pen and paper stand in your way of making someone else — and yourself! — feel appreciated. Your best recipe for holiday success could simply be to send a “thank you” text.
So You Still Want to Send a Text They Can Hold in Their Hand?
As we mentioned in “A Holiday PSA: Pick Up the Phone” last year, if you’re a tried and true old-school type who prefers something more tactile than text, you can still use your smartphone to send season’s greetings and gratitude with a handwritten note via services like Handwrytten and Postable. Simply type in your message and the receiver’s address, and the apps will generate a handwritten letter or holiday card and take care of the mailing for you.
