How It Became Normal to Ignore Texts & Emails
- Thread starter Jambalaya
- Start date
Had a run of nights and am now very tired!
Interesting responses, all. Texting and emailing can be SO much fun on the one hand, but can also drive you crazy! Like LJsmom, I also grew up with only the phone, and I liked that it took five minutes or less to make a plan. These days, if you text each other to make a plan, sometimes it can take many hours - or up to three days, in my experience, allowing for delays and getting busy or distracted - to decide on a plan!
Interesting point about not feeling that texts/emails require a responses. I did wonder if the things noticed by the Atlantic magazine happen in our society because many feel that these messages are much more casual than a call or a letter.
Like Missy, I let the person know I'm signing off. Nothing more annoying than someone "walking off" in the middle of a text/email convo!
Like Alex, I do get annoyed sometimes if I've asked a direct question and receive no response. Agree not every message needs a response....but sometimes I've felt that people (read: men!) mix these two categories of message up, not entirely innocently!
Anyway, in the old days when there was just the phone, people would just wait by it, silently willing it to ring, right?? There's no escape from the communications tyranny! I bet 19th century women waited for a messenger to bring a calling card. And I bet Roman women waited for a bit of parchment. And I expect cavewomen were always craning their necks to see if he'd drawn pictures on the cave walls!
Oooh, he drew me some horses! Does that mean he wants to ride me? 
Interesting responses, all. Texting and emailing can be SO much fun on the one hand, but can also drive you crazy! Like LJsmom, I also grew up with only the phone, and I liked that it took five minutes or less to make a plan. These days, if you text each other to make a plan, sometimes it can take many hours - or up to three days, in my experience, allowing for delays and getting busy or distracted - to decide on a plan!
Interesting point about not feeling that texts/emails require a responses. I did wonder if the things noticed by the Atlantic magazine happen in our society because many feel that these messages are much more casual than a call or a letter.
Like Missy, I let the person know I'm signing off. Nothing more annoying than someone "walking off" in the middle of a text/email convo!
Like Alex, I do get annoyed sometimes if I've asked a direct question and receive no response. Agree not every message needs a response....but sometimes I've felt that people (read: men!) mix these two categories of message up, not entirely innocently!
Anyway, in the old days when there was just the phone, people would just wait by it, silently willing it to ring, right?? There's no escape from the communications tyranny! I bet 19th century women waited for a messenger to bring a calling card. And I bet Roman women waited for a bit of parchment. And I expect cavewomen were always craning their necks to see if he'd drawn pictures on the cave walls!
Oooh, he drew me some horses! Does that mean he wants to ride me? 
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2012
- Messages
- 12,641
I know my way of thinking is old fashioned. And over time there will be fewer and fewer people who think like me, just cause nature takes its course. We’re gonna die out. And then it will be unacceptable to ignore texts and emails. I hope It won’t matter to me by the time that happens.
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