Sorry for the Late Response (Microtheme/ Multimodal)

Sorry for the Late Response

I cannot stand the pressure of being rushed to reply to electronic correspondence. One of my greatest peeves is to have to start a text or e-mail with, “Sorry for the late response!” Nevertheless, I do it every single time I do not provide an almost instant response. Why does this pressure of having to provide immediate responses exist?

A possible reason for the pressure of immediately responding may be because it is expected that the recipient will see the message within moments of it being sent. With read-receipts, there is proof that a message has already been seen which could lead to more pressure. If the sender needs something that is particularly urgent to them, it is possible that they may be persistent with several follow up messages, adding to the pressure. Possibly, something that is high priority for the sender may be at the bottom of the recipient’s priority list. This could lead to an increase in pressure on the recipient’s end because they may have to match that level of urgency for something that is not important to them.

If we could begin to consider the reasons behind the pressure of providing immediate responses, then we may be able to determine if that pressure is absolutely necessary. Understanding the reasons could possibly lead to a reevaluation of how we interact with one another through electronic communications. By thinking about the pressure that is felt as a recipient, it may lead to a change in behavior when one is the sender.