If I don’t answer WhatsApp it may be because I can’t or I simply don’t want to.

The non-stop pace of life we lead makes the convenience of instant chats a source of anxiety to control.

The emotional coercion to which immediacy technologies like WhatsApp subject us is destroying the principles of good communication. It is common to find yourself in numerous conflicts with people who demand a certain fluidity in the conversation compared to others who say “I won’t answer WhatsApp immediately, don’t pressure me.”

We are not obliged to answer, but we are morally pressured to do so. This ends up burning us out and making our contacts with others a true odyssey.

Therefore, it is important to elaborate these technological rights and enforce our wishes. Persisting on meeting the expectations of others ends up exhausting us, intoxicating us, and diminishing our identity.

Who hasn’t felt that they were being questioned about the way they responded to messages? Who has not been pressured or has not been a victim of the haste of others? Who hasn’t felt that social networks were destroying their privacy?

Answer or not is your decision

We have the right not to answer if we do not want to or, where appropriate, to do so when it suits us. Likewise, we retain this right to publish whatever we want on our social networks. Examples abound on the Internet of people who have decided to take a break and leave the world of WhatsApp and other applications with the aim of easing their lives and giving themselves a little peace.

With their action they came to be criticized and questioned by many people. Not answering is not “being antisocial” or “inconsiderate” as many would have us believe.we are simply using our rights.

We must not lend ourselves to the tyranny of new technologies, because doing so is letting our will die.

“I don’t answer WhatsApp right away”: some reasons

It is true that leaving someone in the dark is rude sometimes. It never hurts to respond at some point, even if it is with an affirmation of what has been read.. However, this should not become a source of pressure, as people end up suffering and stopping talking.

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Some triggers for this behavior derive precisely from this immediate nature of live chat and the demands of others. Let’s see some of them:

The anxiety: is the most common cause. The fear would cause the conversation to last longer than it could be sustained and the other person would be offended for not getting a response, for example.Fear of losing concentration of the task being performed.Social saturation: In the end, these applications force you to be connected all the time, a state that not everyone supports equally well.Weariness: Related to the above, some people get tired of feeling pressured to chat and end up abandoning the conversation.

Psychological vulnerability to WhatsApp

What we are discussing in this article does not affect all people equally. In fact, psychological vulnerability depends largely on the personality characteristics or emotional states that define the person at that moment.

In this direction they have appeared some studies that seek to explain addiction and inadequate treatment of new technologies. These point to profiles defined by:

Low self-esteem: people with a greater tendency to seek support from others and with a high need for social approval. Due to these needs, inappropriate use of the mobile phone is common.Extraversion: Extraverted people tend to look for particular social situations that generate inappropriate use of the telephone.Impulsiveness: The low capacity to reflect on the consequences of an action prior to carrying it out usually causes inappropriate behavior towards others, such as demanding an immediate response.

We can understand, therefore, that people who are highly dependent on technologies and who, therefore, exert pressure through networks have some of the characteristics mentioned above. Thus, let us remember at this point that social pressure is a learned issue and that the need for permanent contact with others favors a totally subjective perception of proximity.

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You have the right to say “I don’t answer WhatsApp”

Therefore, it is essential that we value this and remember that if they do not answer us, it does not mean that they do not appreciate us or do not want to have a relationship with us. A person who does not respond to WhatsApp may be sleeping, watching television, reading a book, eating, breathing, or simply living.

You may not feel like answering or you may not see it necessary. Therefore we should not worry or make attributions about it. This does not mean that they give us more or less importance; The healthiest reading on this is that others are free people with rights. We can all decide whether or not we want to be slaves to technology.

We are under no obligation to be reachable or available for conversation at any time. That’s why It is good that we maintain control over our lives and do not allow social networks to monitor our lives. If we think about it and establish the limits we want assertively, a wonderful feeling of emotional freedom will invade us.