Just leave me on read; I didn't want to talk to you anyway
Have you ever sent a really important question, or just wanted to talk to that special someone and wait agonizing hours for their response only to find they’ve left you on read? In the time of technology we create a new era of social norms and mannerisms. These days one in four relationships start online-- whether through a dating website or social media. Our generation is ushering in the new ways of communicating and expressing ourselves. Within the many social media apps there exists read receipts, which are exactly what they sound like they’d be. They allow you to see whether or not the person you are texting has read your message. If you are “left on read,” that means you know the person you texted has read your message but has not--or does not--want to text you back.
For the purpose of this article, I conducted a seven question survey regarding people’s thoughts and feelings on getting left on read. 100% of the people surveyed answered “yes” when asked if they’d been left on read, yet both sexes seem to think that the opposite sex is more inclined to leave them on read. Most people mentioned that they get left on read multiple times a day.
In her song “Games," Demi Lovato sings, “ Text on ’read’ ain’t no accident.” This poses the question, “Why do I get left on read ?” The survey results differed from person to person, but the general consensus was that either they were busy or there was nothing else to say.
However mundane the excuse, depending on who you’re texting, getting left on read can sting. Zach F., a junior who loves cars, said, ”It sucks getting left on read.”
Sydney T., a varsity soccer player said, “ Okay.”
Others stated that they didn’t care or that it was pretty neutral unless there were feelings involved. On social media sites such as Instagram or Twitter the outlook is much different and is usually a negative connotation.
So what is the general consensus of getting left on read? What should you feel if you’re left on read ?
Depending on the situation or the relationship you have with the person you are texting, getting left on read may suck , but it may also just be the ending of the conversation, or it could be that they’ve gotten busy and can’t be bothered to reply at that moment. So you shouldn’t put too much thought into it. When I asked, “ Do you think Girls/Boys are more likely to leave a Girl/Boy on read ?” the boys generally stated that “girls were more inclined to leave boys on read,” but the girls states that “boys were more inclined to leave girls on read.” It seems both sexes hold remorse feelings for being left on read. But I believe that we over exaggerate on how we really feeling about being left on read. If you do feel inclined to worry, it seems that the best thing to do is just let it chill, conversations ebb and flow. There is no rule or mannerism to dictate how you should respond, and you don’t necessarily have to if you don’t want to. You want the conversation to feel natural, not forced.
In today’s society we are so technology driven that we don’t do much without our phones, our iPads, or our computers. Have a face to face conversation with a person, it could actually be refreshing and hey, they can’t leave you on read in person.
If you’ve been left on read, try the following:
Just let it be. Sometimes there is nothing more to reply to your previous statement.
Don’t just send emojis; actually invest time into the conversation. Not everybody is going to be able to decode your slew of emojis.Instead bring up something you think they’d be interested in.
Ask a question! If you really want to have a conversation with the person, keep them engaged. But don’t overdo it on questions, just keep it natural.
Call them out on it! Don’t be afraid to be a little sassy, as it can be funny every now and then.