Problem is, you've never even met the sender in person.

"I've chatted, flirted, had arguments and seemingly started and ended relationships all via texting without ever meeting a person in real life," says Melbourne comedian Marcus Ryan.

Researchers say he is not alone. They say people become emotionally intimate and develop trust much faster through thumb-based communication than when meeting people face to face. People are more open to sharing their feelings and emotions when using digital technologies, especially when they meet through online dating sites and apps.

Ryan, whose upcoming comedy show Love Me Tinder is centred on online dating, keeps quiet about his occupation and feelings when messaging, but says people he meets on dating app Tinder are quick to disclose the most personal of details.

Before he even met one woman she told him she was on medication and under watch for some recent psychological episodes.

"My first thought was, I sure can pick 'em! My second thought was that I'd just get up and walk off; my third thought was, I'd better stay for one coffee, at the very least, there could be some great material in this," said Ryan, who usually waits until a face-to-face meeting before revealing his trade.

The problems don't end once you're in a relationship.

A study by Utah's Brigham Young University last year found men who text more in their relationships are unhappier and their relationships are less stable.

Lead researcher Lori Schade was surprised to find that unhappy men would hide behind messages to avoid confrontation and abuse.

"Texting is a great way to stay connected, in a disconnected way, in a relationship," Dr Schade said.

"Men who are typically withdrawing partners, who will shut down or leave when criticised or blamed, will almost exclusively use texting as a way to avoid facing their partners."

Research from 1967, long before the advent of text messaging, goes some way to explaining what may be the problem with this very modern form of communication.

Psychology professor Albert Mehrabian broke down people's affections for others to being 7 per cent based on word exchanges, 38 per cent tone of voice and 55 per cent and facial expression and body language.

When Professor Mehrabian's rule is applied to messaging it becomes clear that texters only see a small part of the picture, according to San Francisco psychologist Michael Halyard.

He said it greatly increased the possibility that words would be misinterpreted.

"Texting has changed the way that we relate in, and enter, relationships," Dr Halyard said.

"When people fall in love, they are already looking at a person with rose-coloured glasses, not seeing the negative, only seeing the positive. But falling in love through text exaggerates all these inaccuracies."

Recent evidence shows this can get out of hand quickly.

Former Australian Idol winner Casey Donovan recently revealed that she fell in love at the age of 16 with a fictitious man she never met. She stayed in the relationship for six years until she discovered the truth.

"I believed everything and I was hopeful," Donovan wrote of the relationship in her autobiography.

It is a reminder that next time that a text message is only part of the picture, and doesn't mean much until you can see and hear the object of your desire say the words - in the flesh.

Dr Schade's tips for healthy texting:

1. Slow down: Take your time and respond more thoughtfully.

2. Keep it short and simple: If it's taking more than a handful of texts to resolve, as a general rule, you want to have that conversation in person. If it's a conversation with a lot of emotional content you want to have that conversation in person, or at least a vocal conversation, so you can hear the intonation.

3. Stay positive: Don't use a lot of negative content because it's so easy to think you're not having any impact, but you are. Express affection and be very positive. Put money in a relationship bank, so that you're building up a positive atmosphere, and can measure distress more effectively.