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The nagging feeling

Message-senders expect immediate replies. They may get annoyed and ride an emotional roller coaster when a message isn't immediately answered. 'Maybe something bad happened.' 'Maybe he's mad at me.'

The sender may wonder why they can't just respond with a busy now, talk later. These negative feelings can increase when sending a joke or meme and expecting a quick haha or a simple emoji.

Part of what cause these uncomfortable feelings is that there's no universal agreed-upon etiquette for behaviour in a 24/7 digital world.

STASHED IN:

@rhettm

created an idea from a article:

BBC

The crippling expectation of 24/7 digital availability

bbc.com

MORE IDEAS FROM THE SAME ARTICLE

Notification norms

In other areas of our lives, we have clearly defined norms we regard as 'correct.' For example, when you share big news with someone, an immediate congratulations is generally expected, while a delayed response may seem rude.

Digital availability / 24-hour burden

Communication technology has created the expectation of people being always and instantly available. A 2021 survey found that 30% of Americans are constantly online.

What we can do

If you get angry about a slow or non reply, it may help to remember that you're projecting your own anxieties on the recipient when you don't know what is going on with the other person.