We live in a time where many of our relationships are filtered through digital channels. 

You’re calling and texting your parents more often than you’re seeing them, you’re flirting with more strangers on Hinge and Tinder than you would ever flirt with in person, and you’re sending your friends more TikToks than you’re joking with them face-to-face.

However, despite being a generation raised in the digital age, Gen Z appear to be the worst texters and, even worse, some are proud of it. In fact, my grandparents are better texters than many of my friends.

So, why can’t the generation who has owned a phone since elementary school reply to a text to save their life? I blame this strange conundrum partially on the strange unwritten rules of texting propagated by young people.

“Oh, don’t reply back so early. You don’t want them to think that you’re desperate!”

“You can’t double text; that’s embarrassing!” 

“Ew… [   ] just texted me again. They’re so annoying I should just ghost them.”

Gen Z are such prideful texters. It is as if showing that you might care for another human being is the most embarrassing thing possible.

As a person who texts with no shame, it’s tiresome. To hell with not double-texting, not replying fast, and ghosting people…you guys suck.

If a person is on my mind, I’m going to let them know I’m thinking of them, but with this comes the risk of the embarrassment of being left on read.

No one likes being left on read and yet it has happened to everyone whether you’re texting your friends, your family, or your partner.

Despite the digital world connecting us with more people than ever before, it has created a social deficiency.

We don’t know how to interact with each other any more.

It is as though we forget that there’s a person on the other side of the phone we’re holding.

Being a bad replier is not some fun, silly quirk of your personality. You’re being rude.

And no, you’re not too busy. That’s also a lame excuse. Everyone likes to think they are more busy than everyone else. You’re not. 

If you’re that busy just take 0.5 seconds to ask if you can reply later. Communicate.

A good friend makes the time in their busy schedule.

In some cases, maybe you are limiting your texting for the sake of your mental health. In that case, just communicate that.

Or maybe, you just read the message and forgot to reply as you were thinking about how you wanted to answer…just communicate. Reply when you remember and explain that you just forgot to reply. That is better than nothing.

And if you’re ghosting someone… well grow up. Pull up your grown-up pants and just tell them why you don’t want to talk to them again. It’s kinder to communicate.

So, don’t be too proud to communicate with people. Reply to your friends. Reply to your family.

Reply to your partner. Reply to your enemies. 

Being a bad texter isn’t quirky or unique. You are just being socially deficient.

Communication is key, even over digital channels.