Everyone at this point in their lives should know that "communication is key". And I sincerely believe that everyone does, it just comes down to the sheer fact that the amount of effort put into relationships is being diminished by the overcompensation of communication. In the twenty-first century we are a blessed generation that grew up with the advancement of technology ranging from social media, to instant messaging, email, and of course, texting. With all of these ranges of communication it is not uncommon to hear the phrases "streaks" and "ghosting" and "left on read" being tossed around more than confetti nowadays. These generational phrases are used interchangeably to acknowledge the fact of the matter of having constant communication with people.
I have hit walls with this in my own life. I feel instant validation if I get a text back super quick, or if a Snapchat streak I have tends to hit the double digits. It's not uncommon for people to even myself to be in a state of constant communication with my friends and family. A major downside to this is the full force tidal wave of knowing what everyone is doing at all times. The buzz of your phone in your pocket begging for you to reach in and instantly reply. Talking in this form is like if the person was right in front of you. Which can be great for people who are living long distances away, but for the ones less than 20 minutes away this is a huge downside in today's societal expectations of being in a relationship.
Having a constant stream of conversation can only lead to one thing; burnout. This burnout can happen within the first few minutes of a conversation or after hours of texting back and forth. The conversation cannot flow organically due to the absence of facial expressions and tones used.
Now I get crapped on all the time for not responding or leaving people on reading. My stance on this futuristic reality is that if a conversation is going no where I am not going to force anything. One of my biggest pet peeves is living a forced life. The one time I see this the most often is in conversations I have with people over social media like Snapchat or just over text. I feel this guilt whenever I don't respond because I don't want the other person to feel bad but at the end, I feeling more empty to begin with because forced conversations make me feel like I am practically pulling teeth for someone just to ask me how my day was.
It doesn't matter who is it with, or what the conversation is about. I believe that the art of just leaving someone on read after they give you a dry answer is something no one should be ashamed of. If anything, it should show initiative and self-respect for unintentionally voicing how you want to be talked to. If I were to leave someone on read it is because the conversation is going nowhere, and I'd rather leave on a high note than just sending stupid one-word replies back and forth just so I can talk to someone for another thirty minutes.
Overcommunication is like a plug in a bathtub. It keeps the relationship full until it overspills. The tub can only be filled so much before it is seen as too much. My advice is to pull the plug, let the water drain, and fill it with new, clean, fresh water, so you can soak in the person all over again. You don't need to talk to someone every second of every day for them to be seen as important in your life. All you need is an unspoken vow that they mean something to you and for them to show you not with empty words but with actions. Because the true key to any relationship is respect. And I think it is about damn time people start respecting others time in relationships.
