He Texted: The Ultimate Guide to Dating in the Digital Era

Winning and McDermott, creators of HeTexted.com—where women evaluate “obtuse male texting”—assist readers in navigating romance in the information age with the help of three “Brobassadors” who provide a male perspective. Among the array of topics covered are how to reveal subtext in a Facebook friend request, surprising phrases you should never text a guy, and musings on the disparity between a texted vs. a verbal “I love you.” “The Ultimate Facebook Wall Decoder” provides interpretations for men and women on everything from their user handle to their photos and the qualities we look for on another’s page. One man counters the erroneous thinking behind the “two biggest excuses girls make for bad male behavior” and exposes the truth about what he does with nude pics. The authors also draw from HeTexted users, such as the woman whose ex-boyfriend invited her over at 3 a.m. “just to talk” as well as many user-submitted screenshots. McDermott lampoons emojis, noting how “you can irony a thing to death until it’s reborn to earnestness.” The authors’ and the Brobassadors’ adherence to normative gender roles and double standards is bothersome, but unfortunately that’s still the way of the world. (Apr.)