Why do people Unsend messages? Nowadays with technological advances, tools and apps allow us to delete a message, undo it if you will, after we hit send- even after our message has been received by the recipient. Unsending a message can be useful for typos, or if you send something you regret. But why do people actually unsend a message?
Why do People Unsend Messages?
Have you ever sent a message to someone and then had a change of heart? Perhaps it was an email to a problematic colleague or an embarrassing text to your crush. The Mystery of the Unsent Message is why people often choose to take it back, leaving the recipient without closure. When it comes to communication, sometimes we don’t realize how what we say can be interpreted until after we hit ‘send.’
In many cases, it’s a matter of impulse control: once your thoughts are in writing, it can be difficult to take them back. An Unsent Message offers a second chance, especially when the recipient hasn’t had a chance to read it yet. Common reasons for sending an Unsent Message include the following:
Fear of Rejection or Embarrassment
When it comes to sending messages to someone you have feelings for, vulnerability can create a fear of repercussion. If we feel the message could be classified as a risk, it’s easy to regret hitting ‘send’ and attempt to take it back. This is because we feel a need to protect ourselves from making a mistake or being embarrassed.
Changing Your Perspective
Oftentimes, we think we know how someone will react to what we say, but we don’t know until it is sent. When we do send, the truth may be extremely different from our expected outcome. That knowledge can lead us to retract our message, or Unsend it.
Inadequacy of the Words
When we try to express our feelings, we often stumble to find the adequate words to do so. The fear of inadequacy can lead us to Unsend the message, and rethink it when we are in a better place to properly phrase our thoughts.
Regardless of the reason, Unsent Messages can be stressful for both sender and recipient; however, it can be an important part of communication as it allows us to think before we speak.
Why do people Unsend messages?
It is an event that we have all experienced: after spending time crafting or proofreading a message, we hit the send button only to regret what we wrote a minute later. We then frantically search for the ‘unsend’ button, hoping it is available so our embarrassing faux pas can be undone. But why do we unsend messages in the first place?
Throughout our lives, communication has been a cornerstone of almost every relationship, be it at home, school, or work. Communication helps us express our feelings, make requests, and relay important information. But with great power comes great responsibility – and that responsibility is often something we forget as modern technology advances. Here, we explore reasons why people unsend messages in English, and how we can use technology to our advantage, not to our detriment.
Firstly, impulsivity and a lack of forethought often play a role when we make slip-ups. We can vow to think before we type, but the speed of the internet and the ease of texting have left us with an abundance of options to choose from. This deluge of content often means we quickly put out messages that we may later regret.
Impatience and Spam
Secondly, impatience and a desire to act quickly leads to mistakes. We expect an immediate response to our messages, and this expectation often causes us to compromise our message before sending it. This can have a number of consequences, from sending a desperately urgent message to sending something we would later reconsider.
Lastly, spam messages are often sent in haste. Perhaps we didn’t take the time to read the information included in the spam message, or perhaps we are eager to receive the product advertised in the spam, leading us to exercise poor judgement and send messages that we would later regret.
It is important to remember that no matter a person’s motivations, their communication decisions still come with consequences. As technology advances, it is important that we use it thoughtfully, carefully, and responsibly. This means slowing down, reading the content and information that is provided, and questioning our decisions before we hit ‘send’. The ability to unsend messages certainly has its advantages, but it should not be a crutch used to carelessly or lazily make communication decisions.
