PRIMER
I wouldn’t be breaking new ground by pointing out how indispensable smartphones have become to modern life. We pick them up more times than we can count—scrolling, swiping, sometimes intentional, often impulsive. For most of us, the first thing we encounter when unlocking our phones is the cavalcade of notifications demanding our attention: messages from services, businesses, group chats, friends, and family. So if notifications are designed to grab our attention, why do we often delay responding to messages or ignore them completely? Have our devices failed to adapt to our needs, or are we struggling to adapt to them?
Text-based communication is as fast, convenient, and accessible as it has ever been. Yet, the average response time to a text message hovers around 90 minutes. Does this mean we’re all bad communicators? That conclusion might seem obvious, but I’d urge you to consider the evolution of how we interact with information by taking a trip to life, a few decades ago.
THE WAY THINGS WERE
Before the digital age, the flow of information was deliberate. News and messages came through direct conversations or by actively seeking them out. Whether chatting with a neighbour or spotting a flyer for a new store, information reached us only when we pursued it. Today, apps dictate when we should engage, prioritizing their algorithms over our needs. This shift from intentional to reactive interaction has fundamentally changed how we process communication.
FOR EVERY EVENT, AN ATTIRE
Adding to the complexity, the way we use messaging apps varies significantly. As much as all chat applications are perceivably similar, people use them differently and this is one of the brilliant social norms that while fictitious, are highly responsible for governing our behaviour. Have you ever wondered why while communicating with the same person, our tone of voice and decorum differ from WhatsApp to Email? The answer can be found in how we interact in-person with one another. You may meet your friends at a restaurant, a movie theatre, a club, etc. and they are all still the same people but each place has its own etiquette and that’s how the differences come in.
And here lies our collective attempt to try and make sense of a digital age that we arguably understand frighteningly little of. Now the problem here is that in a real life setting we are bound by space and time, making the multiplicity of our presence impossible to be present everywhere all at once. And yet in a virtual world, we transition from button-ups to T-shirts instantaneously like it’s our first nature.
TOO MUCH AND THEN SOME MORE
Now, let’s bring in Dunbar’s number: the theoretical limit of stable social relationships a person can maintain—approximately 150. Social media obliterates this boundary, connecting us to hundreds, even thousands, of people daily. Just think about how many names you see in your Instagram stories or Facebook feeds. This overload is compounded by the constant buzz of notifications, pulling us in every direction at once.
YOU'VE GOT MESSAGE
The problem here isn’t the apps themselves; it’s how they deliver information. Notifications, as they’re currently designed, are a one-size-fits-all solution. While efficient, they don’t reflect the nuance or priority of the messages they convey. This creates an endless carousel of interruptions, forcing us to triage information on the fly, often with imperfect results. The paradox of choice only worsens the problem—toggle this, silence that, decide what’s important—all while trying to focus on the tasks at hand.
The solution? We need a more human-centred approach to notifications—systems that respect context, priority, and mental bandwidth. Until then, we’re left grappling with a design that asks us to be omnipresent—a demand that grinds against centuries of evolutionary instincts.
BRING EVERYONE YOU KNOW TO WORK DAY
The next time you feel guilty about taking too long to reply to a text, consider this: instant messaging essentially places the person you’re texting with right next to you, whether you’re at work, relaxing at home, or taking time for yourself. You wouldn’t bring your best friend into a business meeting to chat about your weekend, would you? What we’re experiencing isn’t a personal failing—it’s modern technology trying to shape our behaviour in ways that contradict how we’re wired.
And with that, I can confidently say: there’s nothing wrong with the way we text. Sometimes, we’re just overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information we’re expected to process.
Let's build the future together!
© 2024 • Made by Glen Samuel Yausep
Let's build the future together!
© 2024 • Made by Glen Samuel Yausep
Let's build the future together!
© 2024 • Made by Glen Samuel Yausep
