Yes, you still need to respond to text messages

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/12/yes-you-still-need-to-respond-to-text-messages

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I refuse to relinquish my dedication to the text message.

In recent months, I’ve come across relatives, friends and men I have dated who seem to have issues with texting – or more pointedly, returning a message I sent. “I don’t like to text,” they tell me, or, “You write too much.” Heaven forbid I don’t stop at “WYD. HRU.” For those who actually enjoy typing words out in full, this would be, “What are you doing?” and “How are you?”. Both of these abbreviations are disgusting, for the record.

Related: Why would anyone want to talk on the phone ever again? | Jess Zimmerman

If you’re kin I barely speak to outside of holidays or old classmates who I sometimes forget are still alive (listen, adulthood is stressful), by all means ping me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat or whatever other social media service I am ignoring but likely signed up for. I like that social media brings many people who otherwise would never connect together.

But I increasingly loathe that it gives people a false sense of intimacy. As in, just because you see whatever I choose to share on social media doesn’t mean you know me. Likewise, you responding to something I put on the internet is not anything close to hitting me back on words said directly to you – it’s ignoring me. No one wants to feel ignored and the fact that I now can visibly see what you are doing on social media in real time as you ignore me is infuriating.

So if you’re a close friend or, even more importantly, a person I am dating, I will not bend on this. Respond to my text. I repeat: respond to my text.

I don’t understand why this task is difficult for people. After all, you’re on your phone either way. The way you can scroll through every social media app you’ve downloaded is the same way you can look to “messages” on your phone, read said messages and you know, respond to them. Why is this a challenge? Spoiler: it’s not.

It’s not like I’m asking anyone to speak on the phone, or something, though as long as I’m not talking to student loan lenders or any dating mistake from the past, I don’t particularly mind that either. I’m willing to lower my weapon and reach a peace accord on that medium which, to a growing number of folks, is akin to asking them to stop putting music on their cellphones and dig their old iPod out of the box. How dare anyone be so Throwback Thursday and Flashback Friday with their lives?

Just answer the text. Humor me. And just so we are clear, you responding to something I say on social media is not the same thing as responding to something I texted to you directly. Do you know how infuriating it is to see someone ignore a text message you sent them but go on to respond to numerous things you’ve said on social media? You do if you’re a decent person with even a modest level of home training.

I very briefly entertained the thought of teaching repeat offenders a lesson by way of blocking them on social media. That is incredibly petty, though, and I don’t want to lead a life that mirrors the biggest villain on any given Real Housewives franchise. Even when they die, their Twitter mentions will be filled with vitriol.

Still, if you are someone who does this, do me a favor. No, do humanity a favor: text people back. You can do it. I believe in you.