Another day, another mobile phone study. And this time it’s not about whether it’s going to give you cancer, eat your hamster or learn to dry the dishes, it’s about the inappropriate use of texts.

Now, we’ve all sent an embarrassing message or two; in fact, over at Shiny Towers we were hard pushed to remember just ten. And we know that we’re sending more and more messages every week – more than 1 billion. But now studies by Mark McCrindle’s Australian social trends research agency show that we’re becoming so socially inept thanks to letting our thumbs do the talking that we’re even willing to break up with long term partners or quit our jobs by text. Worse yet, some people seem to think it’s appropriate to notify friends and relatives by text when there’s been a bereavement in the family.

It’s not all bad news, however. Shari Walsh of the School of Psychology and Counselling at Queensland University of Technology says that “there is some research to show that texting is used as an aid to maintaining and forming relationships”. I guess if we’re making relationships using technology, it’s hardly surprising we’re dispensing with traditional etiquette to break them. Just, please, if you must be so uncouth, at least don’t use nauseating text speak. If they were worth dating, they’re worth a full sentence.