ascio:

You must be a joy to be around - I think H8s Txts sounds very reasonable. If you want to text people do it when you're not in the company of others or keep it to essentials. This is no different than talking on the phone to someone who is also talking to someone else the entire time. It is disrespectful and dismissive. One of my friends could not hold a phone conversation for talking to everyone else in her family until she called her daughter who was talking to her friends. My friend expected the kid's full attention to the conversation. I couldn't stop laughing at how frustrated she was with her daughter doing exactly the same thing she always did. Her behavior changed after that incident and now if she needs to attend to someone else during our phone conversations she always asks if I mind.

But this situation isn't a one on one phone conversation. It is a group social event. If there is one person in a group who demands the entire groups full attention at all times, he/she is probably an asshole.

Also for those of us comfortable with the technology, texting is a much more passive activity than a crossword puzzle or a handwritten letter.

Lastly, there is a good chance H8s Txt friends are conducting business through texts. They might be busy people who can only find time to go out with the group as long as they can remain accessible throughout the evening. Would H8s Txt rather they not come out at all?