Why using shorthand like ‘thx’ and ‘k’ in texting is hurting your relationships

Researchers found that the presence of shorthand for words and phrases makes recipients feel shortchanged.

My brother’s text messages can read like fragments of an ancient code: “hru,” “wyd,” “plz”—truncated, cryptic, and never quite satisfying to receive. I’ll often find myself second-guessing whether “gr8” means actual excitement or whether it’s a perfunctory nod.