It’s undeniable that experiencing the end of a long-term relationship is among the toughest challenges one can face. But is it possible to pinpoint when things started to deteriorate?
According to a Reddit user, these early signs can be detected in something as basic as text messages.
In today’s world, texting (whether through iMessage, Instagram DM, or Snapchat for the younger crowd) has become a standard mode of communication for most couples.
Whether it’s couples maintaining a long distance relationship with daily messages, or those living together discussing dinner plans while at work, texting plays a crucial role in how partners communicate.
One Reddit poster analyzed his old text messages with his former partner to determine when their relationship began to unravel.
The relationship came to an end after five years, which is indeed a significant period of time for many.
By reviewing five years of texts, the Reddit user identified the most frequently used words in their exchanges and presented this information through year-by-year word clouds.
The first image, shared on the popular DataIsBeautiful subreddit, was labeled ‘Year 1: We met online’.
Words like ‘haha’, ‘good’, ‘food’, ‘weekend’, and ‘yeah’ were commonly seen in their messages during the first year.
The second year was titled ‘Year 2: we moved in together’, and similarly featured words like ‘good’ and ‘haha’.
Other notable terms included the endearing ‘baby’, along with ‘work’ and ‘morning’.
In the third image, similar phrases appeared, along with new additions like ‘love’, ‘lunch’, ‘pizza’, and ‘Amazon’. The third year was dubbed ‘Bliss’, suggesting they enjoyed each other’s company.
By the fourth year, it seemed the Redditor and his ex were in a positive place, as they decided to marry.
Pet names such as ‘bub’ emerged, along with words like ‘movie’, ‘dinner’, and adjectives like ‘amazing’.
The fifth and final year marked a turning point, with the Reddit user captioning the slide ‘Year 5: She demanded a third move, then she kicked me out’.
The original post doesn’t provide full clarity on what occurred between them, yet words like ‘okay’, ‘good’, and ‘hopefully’ were still prevalent.
Following their split, another word cloud was shared with the title: ‘Year 6: We tried to resolve things, then catastrophe struck’.
This sixth year included words such as ‘want’, ‘know’, ‘just’, ‘sure’, ‘yeah’, ‘think’, and ‘okay’.
The final slide compiled their most frequently used words throughout the entire relationship, showcasing their communication during dating, engagement, and breakup phases.
The most common words were: ‘okay’, ‘haha’, ‘good’, and ‘baby’.
While many people online were moved by this data, others pointed out that face-to-face communication is often more significant than text messages, noting that what’s written doesn’t always accurately reflect the true state of a relationship.
As one commenter mentioned: “Texting is either random I love you throughout the day or can you get this while you are out with ya, or ok as a response.”