Hyphen Versus Parentheses

Question

So, I absolutely use too many parentheses in my writing and yet, I have what I consider parenthetic things that I want to express.  So what exactly should I do?  I've been playing around with hyphens for quite a while now, but I'm still not certain which is better (if either), when and why.  I hope this hasn't already been answered - I don't think it has, but...  Here is an example of that with which I wrestle as regards this matter:

1)  Please do feel free (and safe, as far as I'm concerned) to text me anytime you'd like.

2)  Please do feel free - and safe, as far as I'm concerned - to text me anytime you'd like.

OR

1)  Please remember that I voluntarily admitted to you that I had been indirect (and thus, less than honest) in asking you the question in the first place.

2)  Please remember that I voluntarily admitted to you that I had been indirect - and thus, less than honest - in asking you the question in the first place.

Thanks, guys! :-)

Nate Murray · Answer

They have different uses. Parentheses add explanatory information to a sentence (this removes the need to make a whole new sentence) that is related to the subject matter. Em dashes show a change in thought — changing the subject mid-sentence was something Kant loved to do — that will eventually return to the original though.
In your examples, I would use commas.

Please, as far as I am concerned, do feel free and safe to text me anytime you'd like.

Please remember that I voluntarily admitted to you that I had been indirect, and thus less than honest, in asking you the question in the first place.

Do note that I changed the word order in the first example.

Hyphen Versus Parentheses

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