Let’s normalize texting back in a decent time frame

The recent trend on self-help type sites is to normalize the opposite, basically what’s been going on for years is totally okay: respond back when you can, when you feel like it, etc.

Except this and the technology itself is breeding laziness and making us worse human beings. When you text someone, I don’t think anyone wants to wait around for hours on end, let the next day or later. And you know why it happens? Either they are extremely busy, so busy they can’t even check their damn phone to say I’ll get back to you later, or they don’t feel like it. They are being conditioned and trained by this habit that it’s OK to do this.

You don’t have to respond back literally lightning fast, but it sure is nice to have an active conversation instead of ‘text tag’.

There was a time when this shit never used to happen. A time when you got a text, you did reply back as soon as you could and you were excited to reply back. Even if that was on your break at work, or in the bathroom, etc. Just don’t do it driving, but the fact that so many have and do tells me it’s important enough for some people.

Which is to say when they don’t respond back right away they are signaling, in a way, this isn’t important. You don’t matter as much.
But I think it’s a combination of things. Doing it and receiving this behavior breeds the same; they did it to me, so why should I go out of my way to respond fast to them? I’ll take my time, just like they did. Except that’s not what I want deep down. I want them to respond back in a decent time frame.

So the whole current rhetoric on self-help sites/infographixs is basically saying when someone demands you respond back in a decent time frame or are upset you didn’t right away, that’s toxic.

That’s bullshit. It’s not toxic. It’s normal and human. We aren’t sending letters or email. We’re texting. Even waiting to get a call back is understandable, but texting has always been different.

Now it’s a nuisance, a bother, to text back to people and give them your attention. It’s not like you’re using some app that you need to go on and check your messages, and even then, you still need a notification. Texting is different and more personal. It goes straight to you, it demands your attention, and maybe we’re simply de-evolving as a human species where we can no longer give people the time of day, the energy, to say something. It’s a shameful trend and accepting this should not be normalized.

The problem isn’t people not getting texts or being so busy. They see them. They always, usually see them. Let’s not deny people aren’t checking their phones, they are. They get the notification. We are deliberately and intentionally choosing to deal with this later.

And that hurts. And if you think this isn’t an issue, you’ve lost touch with your humanity, because I’m sure it hurts you too.