Punctuation strikes you as handy, tidy and responsible. It’s rash to sound off without the pause inspired by the comma or the deep breath mandated by the period. Punctuation saves lives — when applied judiciously.
So it comes as a surprise to learn that among members of the handheld generation, punctuation is not merely considered superfluous. It’s rude.
The text message flows unencumbered by dot or dash. Should you insert the semicolon or period, your correspondent will blanch with humiliation. She has been scolded. Mercilessly.
You give up composing messages and compose instead a bowl of pad Thai, that familiar tangle of noodles punctuated by pepper and peanuts. It engenders actual conversation, which both generations find delicious. Period.