Is it really hard to text someone back?

[Aldo]

I hate to leave people hanging, when I get a text I usually read it right away and respond accordingly. The only exceptions being if I'm driving or at work...or if I for some reason am away from my phone and don't read the text till a while after reading it.

But it just bugs the shit out of me when I know someone has their phone with them. If I'm sitting there reading you posting on facebook from your phone there should be no reason you can't use that same phone to read my text and respond. It just bugs the shit out of me.

 

[Amaris]

I don't text people back. I think of texting like calling on a phone. If I don't want to answer, I'm not going to answer, particularly since I'm not on a plan and each text costs 25 cents.

 

[Aldo]

Well that's a different case, and I can see where you're coming from. However everyone I know and text has unlimited texts, so it's not costing them a dime to hit me back when I text them.

And an aside, I've gotten so used to texting that it never really occurs to me to call people anymore. I mean I do, but mostly my folks who don't really text that much.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

But it just bugs the shit out of me when I know someone has their phone with them. If I'm sitting there reading you posting on facebook from your phone there should be no reason you can't use that same phone to read my text and respond. It just bugs the shit out of me.

It's exactly that sort of pressure I do everything to avoid as far as social networking goes.

My oldest friend doesn't even have my FB because I know she will use my online-ness to pressure me to call her, answer calls, text her..

Maybe people just don't want to talk to you RIGHT NOW. Maybe they want to just veg out on FB and talk to other people.

 

[Aldo]

Maybe people just don't want to talk to you RIGHT NOW. Maybe they want to just veg out on FB and talk to other people.

That's actually why I don't really call people anymore. I always hate the thought that I'm interrupting something their doing. But a text is not an interruption. And I'm not talking about people who don't text me back right away, I'm fine with the thought that they were busy doing something...I'm talking about the people who never text me back. It's something that takes at most a minute or so to do (depending on how good you are at texting).

Especially people who tell me "We should hang out sometime this week." Then when I text them telling when I'm free and we definitely should...I get no reply.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Especially people who tell me "We should hang out sometime this week." Then when I text them telling when I'm free and we definitely should...I get no reply.

A lot of people say that as conversation filler. It's like a bit of connector tissue indicating you are in their radar but it doesn't mean a thing, certainly doesn't mean anything concrete like the actual weekend.

 

[HoneyBLilly]

I hate to leave people hanging, when I get a text I usually read it right away and respond accordingly. The only exceptions being if I'm driving or at work...or if I for some reason am away from my phone and don't read the text till a while after reading it.

But it just bugs the shit out of me when I know someone has their phone with them. If I'm sitting there reading you posting on facebook from your phone there should be no reason you can't use that same phone to read my text and respond. It just bugs the shit out of me.

I have nothing to say, this is exactly how I am too.

It drives me nuts.

 

[Finn]

Sometimes, it's better to wait to reply if you dont want a flurry of responses, like when I'm cuddling with my fiancée when one of the bridesmaids texts "hey! Whassup?"

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

Especially people who tell me "We should hang out sometime this week." Then when I text them telling when I'm free and we definitely should...I get no reply.

A lot of people say that as conversation filler. It's like a bit of connector tissue indicating you are in their radar but it doesn't mean a thing, certainly doesn't mean anything concrete like the actual weekend.

These people need less connector tissue in their conversations and more connector tissue IN THEIR BRAIN.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Yeah. I make a point of identifying them now so I can take their words, scrunch them up and toss 'em.

 

[JoeZhang]

I find it best to be really slow to respond to things, people get more discriminating in their communications with you.

 

[Mr Awe]

Is it hard? No, not at all. In fact, that's part of the problem. It's too dang easy and people expect a response immediately regardless of what the frick you're doing at the moment.

I'd also suggest that maybe you are not all important to them. That doing other things besides responding to you might be in their list of priorities.

Mr Awe

 

[SiorX]

Maybe people just don't want to talk to you RIGHT NOW. Maybe they want to just veg out on FB and talk to other people.

That's actually why I don't really call people anymore. I always hate the thought that I'm interrupting something their doing. But a text is not an interruption.

A text itself might not be an interruption, but one which looks for a reply is putting the other person under an obligation, even if it's a relatively minor one.

I have to admit, I really hate text-message obligation. I have some friends who are consummate texters. I don't mind getting lots of texts from them because that's how they roll, and I like hearing their thoughts on things, but thankfully they also respect that I am *not* somebody who likes to chat by text message.

To begin with, my phone is a clunky thing with irritating keys and rubbish predictive text which makes texting a bit of a chore anyway. I also don't text while I'm working, can't text while I'm walking and won't text while I'm in the company of other people because I feel rude doing so. Since that accounts for a good portion of most days, I tend to let text messages build up like emails or letters to be answered. And sometimes that means that by the time I see them they aren't really relevant anymore, or talking over the phone or in person would be faster, so I end up not replying.

I'm probably in the minority, but I doubt I'm alone on using text messages this way. I don't think that's being rude, tbh.

 

[Kestra]

I ignore texts sometimes if they are unimportant. Sometimes I just don't want to be around my phone, even for days. I hate this pressure to be available to everyone all of the time.

 

[1001001]

Maybe they don't want to answer. Maybe they're interested in something else at the moment. Maybe they figure anything important enough to require an immediate response would not be texted. Who knows?

The demands on people because of electrionic access to us 24 hours a day is a nightmare in my book. Maybe it's an age thing, but Jesus Jumped Up Christ....tweets and emails and texts and that Public Toilet Facebook....leave me alone! You're not that interesting!

See...this is another reason why I hate most all forms of communication with other human beings.

 

[Finn]

I hate to leave people hanging, when I get a text I usually read it right away and respond accordingly. The only exceptions being if I'm driving or at work...or if I for some reason am away from my phone and don't read the text till a while after reading it.

But it just bugs the shit out of me when I know someone has their phone with them. If I'm sitting there reading you posting on facebook from your phone there should be no reason you can't use that same phone to read my text and respond. It just bugs the shit out of me.

Okay, I'm on a computer now. I'm not sure why it bugs you. They don't have to reply right away. The fact they have their phone with them or posting on facebook from their phone is not a good reason why they have to reply. Lot of people avoid reply right away because they would rather not to be engaged in a conversation that would last for more than ten minutes at the time.

And it sounds like you have a lot of free time if you are worrying about not getting responses.

 

[Jonas Grumby]

There are lots of possible reasons why someone wouldn't answer your text. Maybe they're busy with something else. Maybe they just don't like texting. Maybe they just don't like you.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

If I get a text and realize I have received one, I'll read it and decide whether I want to reply right then and there. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. If I'm in the middle of something, I might let it go for a while.

If I feel my phone buzz in my pocket but I'm doing something, I'll check it when I get a chance but I'm not going to rush. It buzzes once for a text, repeatedly for a call, so I can tell the difference when it's silenced. I'll almost always answer a call.

I think that, by their very nature, text messages are not urgent. If it's really urgent, you call. I think it's a bit rude not to reply to a text message at all if it is a message that clearly needs a response, but the solution to that is for the person who sent it to call you if they really need your immediate attention.

 

[Ethros]

I agree with you Aldo

Sometimes my friends and I will just text each other pointless crap, like a joke, or a funny quote from a TV show/film or something etc. Texts like that don't really need to be replied to straight away, and fair enough if at all. I don't mind about that.

But yeah, when you ask someone a specific question in a text, and you know they're available, I find it really annoying when they don't reply.
I can do this myself though to be fair, if its just some random question I get, nothing serious or urgent, I might not reply straight away, but at some point later in the day for sure.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I hate this pressure to be available to everyone all of the time.

BE AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE ALL OF THE TIME!!!!