How seamlessly harmless functionalities have made our human interactions worse.

In the midst of the ever changing landscape of social media, instant messages and non-stop sharing, it's time to analyze how some key functionalities that are present across all platforms are making an impact in our lives.

In today’s fast-paced world of instant messaging, the unassuming features — the ‘read’, ‘writing’, and ‘received’ status indicators — have quietly infiltrated our lives, subtly shaping our social interactions in ways we may not fully recognize. Delving beneath the surface, we uncover a surprising truth: these digital cues, designed to facilitate communication, may actually be undermining genuine human connection.

Consider the ‘read’ receipt: What began as a helpful feature has evolved into something more complex. Suddenly, a message isn’t just a message — it’s an expectation. The presence of those blue ticks transforms a casual chat into a waiting game, where delayed responses can trigger feelings of neglect or rejection. Those small blue ticks intended to signal message acknowledgment, it is quite interesting to see how this feature was only intended to reassure the recipient, and instead it has turned into an obligation to respond, and not only to respond, but to do so fast. What happened to personal time, personal space, and the right people have to take the time…