Technology has opened the doors to a whole new world of awkward flirting for the average clueless teen. In recent years, texting and Snapchat have tended to be the go-to mediums of virtual flirting. These apps enable users to easily convey their meanings in a lighthearted and easygoing way with emojis and filters.

“I definitely use [my phone] to flirt,” freshman Lexi Carlisle said. “I like it because it makes the flirting more funny than romantic.”

There is no expectation to respond to any messages in a certain amount of time, so taking 15 minutes to perfect the text is acceptable. This is extremely different to having a real-world conversation, in which it is generally considered more than just a little bit weird to zone in and out for minutes at a time.

With a multitude of technological options available,students have a hard time deciding which emojis to use, what to say, how to say it, and even when to say it. Some Chantilly flirting “experts” have some tips to help you navigate the troubling new world of virtual flirting.

“Once you start Snapchatting somebody, they become obsessed with the streak,” junior Kevin Euerle said. “If you’re flirting over Snapchat, you have to be consistent and persistent, otherwise the other person may lose interest. You also should feel obligated to keep the streak going.”

The streak refers to the number of days two people have contacted each other in a row. This streak building obsession is evident in many relationships.

“My girlfriend and I have a Snapchat streak of 222 days,” junior Thomas Allain said. “[Consistent communication] has been very important.”

Along with utilizing Snapchat streaks to create an obligation to converse, teens use a variety of emojis to convey a message in a short and fun way. However, teens face the burden of choice when it comes to picking which emoji to use.

“I use the laughing emoji and the winking emoji the most,” junior Jayce Lee said. “[I use emojis] because pictures are worth 1,000 words, and because they spice things up. When you are texting somebody, you don’t want to end in something weird like a period or exclamation mark.”

There are of course boundaries that cannot be crossed. A good rule of thumb to follow is to never do or say anything via text or Snapchat that would be inappropriate to do or say in a face-to-face conversation. Keep it mutual and keep it PG.