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Yeah I tried giving up social media for a while and just texting my actual friends etc instead.

It works for the groups of friends that we have active WhatsApp groups with. But especially texting friends of the opposite sex - now that we're grown up, married, etc - just feels invasive, unless it's asking a specific question, or to arrange something.

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I feel exactly the same, and honestly, it keeps me from approaching some people I‘d like to.

If anyone has figured out a pretext or mental framework for warming up conversations that have effectively died long ago, I would be delighted to know about it.

I make sure to end each conversation properly. Something like "I have to go, I have something to do, that was nice talking to you". That way you can start a new conversation 6 months later and it doesn't feel awkward.

I like to just mention some bit of news or even weather and ask for their take, bam instant convo that says you thought of them while living your life and now you can take the convo in whatever direction.

To muddy the waters, I'd find this super duper weird. I've never had a chain of texts end with a formal "close" to the conversation. Doubly so since texting is async. I'd finally look at your "I have to go" message hours after you sent it and be confused at the update.

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