Even Good Friends Can Be Bad Texters

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“Forgive the bad texters,” Julie Beck wrote in a recent Atlantic essay.

Beck is one of them: She routinely leaves messages unanswered for days or even weeks, not because she doesn’t care but because she gets distracted, is burned-out, or simply forgets.

Yet in a world where everyone is expected to be constantly reachable, a delayed reply can easily be mistaken for indifference.

Texting has made staying in touch easier than ever, but it has also turned communication into a near-constant obligation.

A third of Americans report feeling overwhelmed by the number of texts they need to respond to, Beck writes.

People have felt guilty about unanswered correspondence for centuries, but technology has escalated both those expectations and the anxiety that comes with meeting them.

Being a good texter, Beck suggests, isn’t the same as being a good friend.

Someone who takes days to reply might still be the first to show up when you need them.

So the next time a friend leaves you on read, consider giving them the benefit of the doubt.

And if you’re the one with a growing pile of unanswered messages, maybe give yourself a little grace too.

The Texting Trap Forgive the Bad Texters By Julie Beck We are truly sorry for our delayed response.

Read the article.