Misunderstanding electronic kisses behind many office affairs

IT started with a kiss. A virtual kiss. A simple "x" at the end of an SMS, in fact. You mean it wasn't a kiss?

less than 2 min read

August 24, 2012 - 4:15PM

News Corp Australia Network

Office Affair

IT started with a kiss. A virtual kiss. A simple "x" at the end of an SMS, in fact. You mean it wasn't a kiss?

That's how more than half office romances start, a British survey has found.

However, the electronic "kiss" is often initially a misunderstanding.

Both men and women assume that receiving a message ending in an X is a come-on.

Usually the sender is just a colleague being friendly.

Dating website WhatsYourPrice.com surveyed 1000 British office workers about the significance of an X in texts and emails.

It found the X is instigating sex - accidentally and intentionally.

Founder Brandon Wade said: "We are learning so much about the whole etiquette of dating through (texts, emails and) the internet.

"It allows couples to establish intimacy much more quickly and freely express exactly what they want. That has to be a good thing."

The survey found about 40 per cent of women and 10 per cent of men reportedly put an X in emails to their boss.

About 86 per cent said they innocently put a "kiss" in mails to colleagues.

Sometimes, it doesn't end up anywhere near so innocent.

The survey says 55 per cent of women and 60 per cent of men who had engaged in an office romance said it had been sparked by Xs in messages.

Sometimes, it's a case of "return to sender"

About 35 per cent of women and 25 per cent of men reported their virtual kisses as being wrongly interpreted as sexual.

The electronic kiss is also an effective means of spicing up a first date.

The possibility of intimacy skyrockets almost 90 per cent if an sms with the powerful X is sent immediately before the get-together.

"People are still not sure how to interpret Xs," UK dating expert Helen Crydon told the Daily Mail.

"Clearly they are a great way of quickly establishing intimacy when you are dating.

"But I never put an X in a professional email. To me that would be girlie and dipsy.

"For that reason, if I get one back from a man I immediately see that as flirtatious."