Our instant-message culture has a lot of benefits, but a lot of things come with it that weren’t intended.
One of those things is the ease of ignoring. While it’s easier than ever to get information to someone, it’s also easier than ever to ignore it.
I read an article a while back called “Is ignoring the new no?”. I was disappointed by the conclusion, which was, mostly, “yes”.
I don’t think it is always done maliciously or even intentionally. We get a bunch of messages, intend to reply ASAP, but some get lost in the chaos of life and inbox influx. I get it.
But it can’t go left unchecked.
Why? Because ignoring is still ignoring, even if it’s done by accident. It still hurts, it still impacts people, it can still make you feel disconnected or rejected.
It’s a stretch, but you can imagine how instant messaging has enabled behaviour and thinking that contributes to our depressed, anxious and disconnected culture.
We owe each other the dignity of a response, whether it’s the response they want or not. Just because responding can be hard or might hurt, I can’t think of a good reason not to do it.
Think about real life. Would you ever want to ignore someone in person, on purpose? Is it then ok to do so via electronic messaging?
And the fix is easy. Like many productivity gurus will tell you, emails (for example) are best touched once. That means that every time you read an email, you act on it right away. That means archive, forward, or reply. Deal with it then and there, as best you can. Leave them unread until that point.
I think the same can be done for your Facebook inbox, text messages, and the like. Leave them unread until you’re ready, then respond as you need. If they’re more urgent, do it right away.
So do your part, friends. People are feeling lonely enough without your – even accidental – ignoring.
Do to others as you would have them do to you. Luke 6:31
