This article was co-authored by Ashley Smith, PhD and by How.com.vn staff writer, Kai Hynes. Dr. Ashley Smith is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and the Co-Founder of Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength. With over a decade of experience, she specializes in treating anxiety and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Dr. Smith has been featured in several media publications such as The Washington Post and Thrive Global. She has also been published in multiple peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Anxiety Disorders and The Behavior Therapist. Dr. Smith holds a BA in Psychology from The University of Central Arkansas and both an MA and PhD in Clinical Psychology from The University of Nebraska, Lincoln.
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Getting a mean text message can really hurt. Your immediate reaction might be anger or sadness, but don’t let your emotions make you say something you’ll regret later! Instead, take a minute to think about who sent the text and what you want your response to do. Is this a friend who could be genuinely upset about something, or a cyberbully or troll who’s being mean for fun? Do you want to turn this into a meaningful conversation, or shut it down completely? To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of responses for any situation. Take a deep breath. You’ve got this!
Response Examples for a Mean Texts
- If you’re upset by a text, say, “I don’t want to respond right now because I’m upset. We can talk later.”
- Ask if something you did caused them to be upset, and send a quick message, “Could you tell me what I did to upset you?”
- To avoid an argument, express your opinion and say, “I don’t want to get into an argument, so let’s move on.”
Steps
Expert Q&A
Tips
References
- ↑ Ashley Smith, PhD. Licensed Clinical Psychologist. Expert Interview. 22 October 2021.
- ↑ https://www.inc.com/susan-steinbrecher/6-ways-to-shut-down-rude-behavior.html
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/click-here-happiness/201710/6-tips-decoding-emotions-in-text-messages
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/click-here-happiness/201807/6-ways-respond-cyberbully
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201512/5-polite-ways-disarm-rude-people
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/click-here-happiness/201807/6-ways-respond-cyberbully
- ↑ https://psychcentral.com/blog/how-to-respond-to-rude-or-inappropriate-remarks#responses
- ↑ https://www.inc.com/susan-steinbrecher/6-ways-to-shut-down-rude-behavior.html
- ↑ https://psychcentral.com/blog/how-to-respond-to-rude-or-inappropriate-remarks#responses
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