15 Text Conversation Starters for the Shy and Socially Awkward

Texting is hard if you're shy or not socially graceful. Here are some solid text conversation starters for those of you who fit those descriptions.

Starting a conversation nowadays can be really difficult. What do you talk about? How do you actually continue the conversation? You can't just start with a “hey” if you want it to go anywhere. Therefore, having a list of text conversation starters handy will help you actually talk to someone.

And if you're shy or socially awkward, you'll benefit greatly from having something ready to go. You can avoid sitting there thinking and taking forever to come up with something, and if those things are weird or awkward in any way, it's even more harmful.

Why texting can be so hard for people

Some people who can talk in person very well might have difficulty texting. You'd think they could just transfer their talkative persona to their phone but for them, much of their ability to talk to someone easily comes from the energy and attitude of the other person.

And that means they have a hard time when texting because they don't get that feedback. On the other hand, some people who are shy just might not know what to talk about and the socially awkward folks may make a fool of themselves by being a little too… odd.

Text conversation starters that'll help just about anyone

Thankfully, there are plenty of text conversation starters you can choose from. Some of these are actual sentences you can copy word-for-word while others are simply guidelines you can use to get creative on your own. The bottom line: these will help you get that conversation rolling.

#1 Send a meme that you think they'd find funny. Memes are by far the best thing for getting a conversation started. It really only takes sending a single image to start talking. You can even send them memes that remind you of them. The point is to start the conversation without even actually saying anything. Let them reply and go from there.

#2 Talk about their hobbies. People love talking about stuff they enjoy. And if you know their hobbies, then you know what they enjoy. It doesn't take much to get someone chatting about the stuff they do in their free time. Ask them questions about it and what they like most. They'll probably carry the conversation from there.

#3 Discuss something major going on around you. This can be anything from big world news to something more specific to where you live. If you find common ground, you'll be able to get the conversation going easily. Everyone has an opinion about what's going on. Get them talking about theirs.

#4 Follow up with something they told you about. If they told you they'd be going to a concert Saturday, text them on Sunday asking about it. Not only does this show you've been paying attention, but it's one of the text conversation starters that allows them to really do the bulk of the work.

#5 Tell a joke. Everybody loves jokes. You can even tell cheesy ones if you want. It doesn't have to be anything major. Just look up some funny jokes online and send one their way. You'll be able to laugh about how horrible it is and the conversation will carry from there.

#6 “I just saw the funniest video I think you'd love!” This is great if you've been watching some YouTube videos and want to share something with them. It starts a conversation and also gives you something very specific to talk about.

#7 “Hey! What's the band you were talking about last week?” Opening with this is a perfect way to start a conversation because there are so many places to go from there. You can also alter this to better fit with something you know they were talking about. Clearly, not everyone will have told you about a band last week.

#8 “Have you ever been skydiving?” This might seem like an out of the blue question, but it's great because they don't know the context of it. Maybe you're thinking about doing it. Maybe you just saw someone else do it. You can talk about how it went if they did and if they want to if they haven't ever been.

#9 “I can't believe what's going on right now.” This can be in relation to world news or an even what's happening where you live. It's a pretty simple statement but it opens the door to a longer, deeper discussion.

#10 “Lol! This is totally something I can see you doing.” Send this text along with a meme or video of someone doing something funny. Just make sure that it's something that the other person would actually do. Otherwise, it's kind of pointless. Making them laugh and relating something to them will definitely get a reply and start a fun conversation.

Tips for making the conversation last

It's not always just enough to get the conversation going. You'll also need to know how to keep it rolling. Here's are a few ways you can maintain a great conversation after starting it.

#1 Ask questions. Questions are a great way to keep a conversation going after it's been started. Really all you need to do is ask someone to elaborate or ask follow-up questions. The trick here is to not ask too many. If you're just asking and asking and asking about something, they'll feel like they're being interviewed, which will make them want to stop talking to you.

#2 Don't try to control it too much. Let the conversation go where it's going. If you started talking about bands and something got on the topic of tattoos, let it be. Don't try to control the conversation too much because that'll feel awkward and uncomfortable to the other person.

#3 Figure out what they like talking about and expand upon it. You can easily tell when someone likes talking about something because their responses will be longer and will seem happier. Expand upon those things. Ask questions about that topic to keep the conversation rolling in a great direction.

#4 Be yourself. Don't try too hard to be a certain way. Just be you. If you're trying too hard, it'll come across in the texts. Talk just as you would with a close friend and you'll be just fine.

#5 Let them start the conversation sometimes too. Don't always be the driving force of the conversation. Let them hit you up first sometimes. Let them take the lead when it comes to what topic to talk about. This allows for a good balance that'll seem natural and fun.

I know how hard it can be to get a good conversation going when you're shy or just not great at talking to people. Having some text conversation starters ready to go will definitely help you get to know people.