A relationship expert has weighed in after a Gen-Z woman shared her shock over a text she received following a first date with a millennial man.
Elizabeth Castaldi, from the US, left people divided earlier this month after she shared a screenshot of the text she received from the man after they went on their first date.
At 27-years-old, Elizabeth is on the cusp of Gen Z and was only a few years younger than her 35-year-old date, but those years clearly made all the difference as she was left baffled by his text.
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It read: "Hey, had fun last night. Have a good day."
Elizabeth questioned whether her date was 'a bad texter' or whether he was simply '35', prompting some viewers to weigh in.
Some TikTokers seemed to be on Elizabeth's side, with one writing: "‘have a good day.’ is crazy"
However, others didn't see the issue with the man's message which, on it's surface, isn't inherently bad or rude.
To help get to the bottom of the matter, UNILAD spoke to relationship expert Nicky Wake, founder of dating app Chapter2, to get her thoughts on whether the man's text was acceptable.
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And if you're on the man's side, I'm afraid you've chosen wrong.
Nicky explained: "The text Elizabeth received from her date can be confusing, especially the more you analyse it.
"On first glance, it does come across positive, and shows that he did have a good time on the date, however the abruptness of the next sentence, ‘have a good day’, leaves room to question if he is interested in seeing her again.
"Whilst it might not seem that he doesn’t want to see her again, not asking a question on if she had a good date too, or how her day was going, indicates that he has no desire to communicate with her further, and the text could look like a tick box from him that he does after every date he goes on."
To avoid landing yourself in a similar confusing situation, Nicky recommended using a combination of 'thoughtful communication, active engagement, and genuine expression' to make sure you're showing interest even while texting.
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And yes, that means you can't ignore them for hours on end.
Nicky continued: "Respond promptly to their messages to show that you’re eager to keep the conversation going. To show that you care, refer to previous conversations. For example, "You mentioned you were working on a project. How's that going?”. This shows that you’re paying attention to what they’re saying, and you’re genuinely interested in their daily life habits."
The expert also recommended keeping your tone 'upbeat and positive' with exclamation points or emojis, and be clear if you want to meet up in person.
"Propose activities you can do together, such as going to the local coffee shop, or mention things you’d like to do together in the future, for example planning a cinema date for an upcoming movie that’s not out yet.
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"By incorporating these tips, you can effectively convey your interest in the person you’re texting, making them feel valued, appreciated and reassured.”
If you're a millennial - or simply guilty of being a bit blunt in messages - take note!
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@elizabethannecastaldi/TikTok/@yogiinpinkkTopics: Social Media, TikTok, Sex and Relationships, Viral
Emily Brown