Absent kisses trigger text message alarm

TO KISS or not to kiss – that is the question apparently faced by many when it comes to sending text messages to their love interest.

It seems that it's not a decision to be taken lightly either – according to a new study, nearly 90 per cent of women will read into it.

The same can be said for writing in capital letters, which is also subject to analysis and interpretation, the findings showed.

According to the study, conducted by a mobile phone price comparison website, 88 per cent of women believe a text without kisses implies the sender is annoyed or angry with them.

While 57 per cent of those questioned felt texts written entirely or partly in capital letters signalled anger or shouting, another 49 per cent admitted feeling concerned if they failed to get a reply within half an hour.

Despite the limited space afforded by a text message, 53 per cent of women said the words "I love you" would not mean as much if the sender used "text speak" and wrote "luv" in order to save space.