There’s the “hey, what’s up” text, the hook-up text, the morning-after text and then there’s the dreaded breakup text.  From the classic “it’s not u it’s me :(” to the upfront “ur dumped! c u l8r,” it’s all over before Autocorrect can even fix “l8r.”  It’s crazy to think that with a single text message, you can say goodbye to months of holding hands, late-night conversations and inside jokes—all in under 160 characters.

Years ago, breaking up this way was unheard of.  But with the advance of recent technology like texting, Facebook and Twitter, ending a relationship via message has become much more common. In this day and age, many teens are finding it easier to deal with an awkward breakup by avoiding the face-to-face confrontation and skipping straight to the point—even if it means more hurt feelings and broken hearts.

However, over 250 teens, adults and youth organizations gathered at the Break-Up Summit 3.0 in Boston last month to discuss cheating, breakups and other dating issues. Sponsored by the Boston Public Health Commission and Start Strong Boston, the conference focused on building and preserving healthy relationships.

A healthy relationship, according to the summit, means not only knowing how to maintain one, but how to end one, as well. That means taking the time and care to break up in person or on the phone, instead of a text, to give your soon-to-be ex the respect he or she deserves. There’s a time and place for everything, and breaking up via text just isn’t the right time or place. C U l8r, breakup text!

Photo by Nick Dynan/WBUR