Blame big fingers, tired eyes or other distractions, but odds are you've sent a text or tweet to someone accidentally. It happens to all of us, from text-addicted teenagers to businesspeople on a BlackBerry.
About 40 percent of texters admit they've accidentally sent a text to the wrong person, and 10 percent say they do it once a month, according to research by the makers of TextPlus, a smartphone app.
Mistakenly replying to an incoming message and clicking the wrong person on your contact list are common errors.
"I was trying to hit on a girl named Kelly via text one time. My boss' name is Kelly, and I almost sent it to her. I changed her name to 'boss' after that," said Eric Swenson, a 21-year-old student.
Swenson hasn't always caught his mistakes, though, and has been left staring at his phone screen at a disparaging message he fired away to the wrong recipient.
"If you recognize it right away, say, 'Sorry, wrong person,'" said Drew Olanoff, the "textpert" and community director for TextPlus. "You don't want them wondering, 'Was this for me?' They'll understand. It happens to everybody."
Even innocent texts can be problematic when they end up in your co-worker's or your grandmother's inbox. Humor sites have made such texts an Internet meme, posting thousands of screenshots people have submitted of their uncomfortable exchanges from texting mistakes.
"If everyone just took a moment to re-read what they typed before they hit send, every one of the mistakes on DamnYouAutocorrect.com and WrongNumberTexts.com could be avoided," said Jillian Madison, who runs the sites and wrote a book with the funniest submissions. "Of course, it's easier said than done. Today, we're all moving fast, talking fast and communicating fast. The downside to that is it leads to mistakes, often with dire consequences."
Americans' rate of texting is booming, with younger texters sending more messages than ever. According to a recent Nielson Mobile report, teens sent an average of 3,364 a month at the start of 2011. The 18-24 age group sent 1,640 a month.
More texting means more opportunities for mistakes, so Olanoff predicts tech companies will begin to create more safety features for users, such as an "Are you sure you want to send this text?" message or even an option to retract misfired messages.
TEXTING TIPS
Here are five "textpert" tips for avoiding embarrassing mistakes:
Know the technology. Whether it's e-mail, text messaging, Twitter or another form of communication, be familiar with the basics of how it functions before rushing through messages.
Double check things. The easiest way to make sure a text doesn't go to the wrong person is to check the recipient's name before you send it.
Don't list contacts just by first name. Write a last name, business or other clues so you know exactly whom you are talking to.
Be judicious with what you text. If you're living a risky lifestyle, technology is going to be your worst enemy, Olanoff said.
Don't text drunk. No surprise here. Alcohol might be to blame for a number of accidental texting incidents.
