When text messaging first took off in the early 1990s, there were limits — like just 160 characters for an SMS. We learned to use shorter words and symbols to get more meaning into fewer characters. Those habits stuck even after our phones got smarter.
Today, there are more mobile subscriptions than people on the planet and more than 5.8 billion people use mobile phones worldwide.
Texting isn’t a side feature of communication anymore, it is communication.
A recent survey found that about two in five people (40%) use SMS and text messages most often to stay in touch with family and friends.
But what really makes a text funny? Most of the time, it’s the unexpected stuff.
Alex Borgella, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology at Fort Lewis College, tells us that a useful starting point to understand this is benign violation theory.
“Humor tends to arise when something violates our expectations, but does so in a way that feels psychologically safe. Awkward texts break conversational norms, often dramatically, yet the reader is at a comfortable distance with no social consequence (at least not immediately).”
“That distance might matter. In person, awkwardness can trigger empathy, embarrassment, or even stress because we are co-present. Our nervous systems are built to track social threat in real time. In text, we observe the violation without being implicated in it. That psychological distance amplifies the ‘benign’ side of the equation. We can enjoy the incongruity of the situation without managing the emotional cost,” he adds.
We all thought predictive text and autocorrect would speed up our typing, but instead — at least most of the time — they help us embarrass ourselves in hilarious ways.
How many of us have sent “duck” instead of what we actually wanted to type?
Emojis and GIFs usually do the heavy lifting too, letting us say a lot without writing a single word.
“There is also a cognitive element. Text strips away tone, facial cues, and timing, usually making misinterpretation more likely. The brain loves resolving incongruity. When we finally ‘get’ why something went wrong, the resolution itself can produce amusement. The lag between message and interpretation sometimes intensifies that effect,” says Dr Borgella.
Basically, funny texts are the ones that break the rules a bit — sending a serious message and ending it with a funny GIF. Or when the messages just show the quirks of real life — a grandparent sending a text in all caps or someone sending LOL in the middle of a serious conversation.
Humor, and sharing humor online, creates a sense of connection and we all enjoy that kind of shared understanding.
“Humor is deeply social. There’s loads of psychological research suggesting laughter signals shared understanding and shared norms. When people circulate screenshots, they are often inviting others to agree with our take on them,” says Dr Borgella.
Philosophers and thinkers have long studied why we laugh. Aristotle and Plato noted that humor often comes from feeling a little superior — watching someone else’s mistake can trigger amusement.
Sigmund Freud took it further, arguing that humor is a release of tension, a way to let off “psychic energy.” What he basically meant was that we all have thoughts or impulses we can’t say out loud. Like the awkward, embarrassing, or even slightly taboo stuff.
Jokes let us express some of that energy safely. And today, funny texts take that a step further.
“Laughing together at a screenshot can reinforce in-group norms about what counts as appropriate, cringe, or absurd. It’s like a small act of norm policing disguised as play,” Dr. Borgella says.
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Dr Borgella believes that content that evokes high-arousal emotions, whether positive or negative, is more likely to be shared.
“Awkward or absurd text exchanges often trigger surprise and amusement simultaneously, which is a potent combination.”
“Relatability is another key ingredient. Text messages capture everyday social friction. When people see a viral exchange, they often think, ‘That could be me.’ That universality lowers the barrier to sharing,” he says.
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Sharing a viral text can communicate taste, social savvy, or moral positioning.
“If a screenshot shows someone violating a widely held norm, sharing it can subtly signal that the sharer recognizes and rejects that violation. Again, here humor becomes a social tool rather than mere entertainment,” says Dr. Borgella.
“Finally, the format definitely also matters. Screenshots feel authentic. That sense of ‘this really happened’ increases engagement, even if we rationally know some are staged.”
Humor isn’t just entertaining, it has various social and psychological perks also.
Studies show that most of us value a sense of humor in friendships and romantic relationships.
Laughter creates connection, releases tension, improves our mood and reduces stress levels.
It’s why a funny text can break the ice or even keep a conversation alive.
Just like every other language that humans have created, even the texting lingo keeps evolving.
I remember sending the same laughing emoji for years but now my Gen Z friends tell me it’s cringe. Even typing LOL can make some people roll their eyes these days.
A recent survey of 18- to 28-year-olds shows just how important texting habits can be.
Many Gen Zers say slow replies annoy them, and seeing a message with only “LOL” is a big turn-off. In fact, 58% have even thought about ending a relationship over bad texting etiquette.
The poll also found that 56% of Gen Zers have judged someone based on their emojis.