We’re the generation that is scared of answering phone calls. Anxiety seems to creep up on us during virtual interactions, not just in real life. Studies show that young adults feel anxiety during digital communication, so, the conundrum of “What should I text them back?” may be more common than we think.
If you’ve ever received a text that has left you speechless, the subreddit “How Do I Respond To This?” might be the perfect place to find inspiration for a snappy reply. Members of the community share messages that have left them stumped, and other netizens offer the best ways to respond in creative, funny, and casual ways. Check out the funniest and strangest examples below, and share in the comments how you would’ve responded!
More info: Reddit
#1 I’m At A Loss
#2 A Girl Messaging First Is A Rare Sight But That Is Just Too Lame
#3 I Was Asking My Friends If They Wanted To See Endgame With Me
Texting seems like a pretty simple ordeal: you type something, send it, and reply once you get a response. Yet people make it quite complicated: how do you write a text with the right vibe? How do you leave a good impression with a text on a potential future partner? And how do you deal with the other person opting to reply with only a “seen?”
If you’ve ever pondered any of these questions, you might have texting anxiety. Luckily, you’re not the only one. According to a 2018 study by Viber, one in three peoplestressabout texting daily. This includes things beyond just what to reply: unanswered messages and the sheer volume they receive add to the stress, too.
#4 My Best Friend Sent Me This. I’ve Been Realizing We’ve Been Talking Less And I Didn’t Know What To Do
#5 An Old Friend Was Jealous And Hurtful. I Got This A Few Days Ago
Details: we were super close for about a year. He admitted to being in love with me while I was still in a relationship but he said he would never try to break up a happy relationship. He was fine until I broke up with that guy and was single. I had a huge crush on our mutual friend and that really bugged him. Me and that guy started like pseudo dating. In that time, he convinced me that the guy I liked was going on dates with other girls, still on tinder, hooking up without telling me etc. None of those things were true. He also ended up completely unprompted sending me videos of himself jacking off and stuff and admitting to sexually assaulting a friend of his when she rejected him because she is a lesbian. So yeah we left on bad terms and the fact that he acknowledged none of those things is what makes this hard.
Edit: I didnt think about it till now but I’m still in a relationship with that mutual friend after 3 years and we live together and I dont think he knows that.
Update: I took the middle ground approach and thanked him for reaching out and good luck on his recovery and his response was also very short and respectful. Thanks for all the advice, it really helped understand how to keep reactions and contact at a minimum. I feel safe and I’m mostly happy that nothing negative came from it.
#6 Good
When we text, we communicate in more complicated ways than just saying “Yes” or “No.” We use emojis, GIFs, pop culture references, abbreviations, soundbites, and other means of expression we wouldn’t use in face-to-face communication. Different groups also have different texting etiquette.
A 75-year-old gentleman from France probably wouldn’t know what “idk,” “ahh,” or “chopped” means. But to a young American, these words and abbreviations are part of their everyday texting lingo. This is part of where our texting anxiety comes from: we’re afraid to break the rules of a certain group’s texting etiquette and seem like outsiders: uncool, othered, and misunderstood.
#7 Am I Just Destined To Never Have A Good Conversation With Someone
#8 Met Two Cute Missionaries Some Time Ago
#9 If There Even Is A Response To This
Experts note that how we react to texting depends on our attachment styles. This is especially true when we’re waiting for a reply, and it doesn’t come as quickly as we expected. Researchshowsthat a person’s attachment style can predict how they will react to an unanswered text. For example, if they have an anxious attachment style, they’re more likely to interpret a lack of response as threatening.
#10 Not The First Time I’ve Had This Kind Of Response
#11 Friend Who’s Into Me Got Word Of Me Liking Someone. Idk How To Respond To This, I Can’t Tell If This Is Satire Or She’s Serious. What Do I Say?
#12 Now I Am Overthinking. She Set The Bar High With That Reply
An unanswered text is a socially ambiguous situation. Those with anxious attachment style often have trouble interpreting them correctly. This applies to people who have heightened social rejection sensitivity as well. Psychologistsexplainthat people who are sensitive to rejection often anticipate rejection and expect to be ghosted, told “No,” or to be left on read. So, they find it harder to reply to ambiguous texts or interpret silence from the other end as anger, disappointment, or avoidance.
#13 I Need To Get Past Interesting One Liners
#14 I (30f) Gave My Number To Someone (25m) Who Works In My Building. We’ve Had A Couple Of Brief Conversations In The Break Area So I Thought We Could Be Friends, But Now I’m Questioning It?
#15 So, Here’s What My Boss Said To Me Today. Conversation Was Fine Until This
She’s from the Philippines so I think there’s a cultural element (I’m in Midwest USA), and I’ve known her for quite some time & she’s pretty much always abrasive
How long does it take for you to feel anxiety about the “seen” prompt on a message app? Or how long are you able to stand seeing the three dots indicating that the other person is replying, but the reply never comes? One study with Japanese college-age womenfoundthat people are very quick to assume the worst. The first emotions that the participants reported feeling once seeing the word “seen” were anxiety and sadness. We’re much more likely to jump to conclusions that someone is ignoring us on purpose rather than thinking they’re just busy.
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#16 Ummm
#17 My Coworker Sent This Out Of The Blue. I Want To Say Thanks But Also Wanna Ask What Her Reason Was For Sending This If There Is One?
#18 I’ve Had A *rough* 24 Hours And I Just Can’t Handle Being At My Job
What about you, Pandas? Have you ever needed help with drafting a text? Did you ever ask someone to help you compose a witty, impressive text? Tell us all about it in the comments below! And if you’re in the mood for scrolling through some more funny text conversations, check out some of our previous publicationshereandhere!
#19 I Could Be Miss Interpreting Things But I Felt Like There Was A Lot Of Unnecessary Passive Aggressiveness Here. How Should I Go About It?
#20 Girl Messaged Me This On Tinder And I Ain’t Got A Witty Reply. Help Pls
#21 Glad He 22m Took It Back But What Do I 21f Say Back (We’re Just Friends)
#22 I Have Talked To This Person Like 3 Times, They’re Online Idk Them In Real Life
#23 I Had A Life Changing Event, My ‘Friend’ Didn’t Have The Time Of Day
#24 Matched With Cute Girl From Class On Tinder, Hang Out After Class With Her And A Dude Called Jamie, Afterwards She Sends Me This. I’m Straight
#25 How Do I Imply I Don’t Want To Talk To Him
#26 I Think Pasta Is “Okayish”
#27 I Got Tinder Gold And Im Going To Be In Her Country In A Week, What Should I Say?
#28 They Haven’t Texted Me In Months And Open With This
#29 My Mother Often Cries To Me About How She’s A Bad Parent And Failed As A Mother, It Always Makes Me Very Uncomfortable But I Just Say “No No, It’s Fine” When In Person
#30 I Want To Be Friends With This Girl, But This Happened After She Hadn’t Responded For A Few Days. What Do I Say?
#31 I Told Her I Liked Her And I’m Pretty Sure This Means She Doesn’t Like Me Back I’m Not Sure What To Say
#32 Girl Helped Me (F26) Get Home After Getting My Knee Injured During Volleyball Last Night And Is Willing To Help Me Now
We’ve talked at volleyball but weren’t super close. These were the last text we went. She might of meant “hit” instead of “hot”. Not sure how to respond now
#33 Friend Has Texted Me A Lot About Ben Platt. I’m Out Of Replies About Him. Please Help
#34 I Guess The Girl I Like Has Autism And I Guess My Comment (Which Was Meant As A Compliment) Offended Her. Is There Something Good I Can Say?
#35 Showing Empathy
#36 I Made It Pretty Clear From The Get Go About 2 Weeks Ago That I’m Interested In Her… Not Sure How To Respond To This
#37 Recently Reached Out To Bio Father, He Wants To Meet. Told Him I Need Time And He’s Respectful Of It. This Is His Wife, Potential Mother Of My Half-Brother… She Just Keeps Messaging Me
#38 When Unfamiliar Person Says They’re Not Ok, Should I Ask Why?
#39 What Do I Say?
#40 How Do I Get Out Of This Terrible Conversation And Start A New One? I’m Bad At Texting
#41 Just Got This Message On Reddit. What?
#42 My Father Is A Real Estate Agent And Wants Me To Buy A House. He Is Being Manipulative
#43 I Got A Bit Drunk And Sent A Girl This
#44 Friend Has Chronic Depression But Idk How To Respond And I Really Want To Help
#45 How To Recover Lads, Maybe I Offended Her
#46 Matched On Tinder Yesterday. What Do I Say?
#47 I Accidentally Ghosted This Guy 2 Days Ago And He Sent A Long And Thoughtful Message But I Don’t Want To See Him Again
#48 I Asked For It But I Have No Clue How To Respond
#49 Although I Don’t Recall Doing It, It’s Definitely Something An Idiot Like Me Would Do. What Can I Reply To Sound As Sorry As I Can Possibly Be Without Making It Sound Like It Wasn’t A Big Deal?
#50 I’ve…ive Got No Idea. Hdirtt?
#51 My Friends Reply To Why She Called Me
#52 Dad Wants Nothing To Do With The Baby
#53 Military Recruiter Trying To Get Me. Don’t Know How To Respond To This
#54 Not Sure How To Respond. This Is My Mother, And She Just Kicked Me Out For Not Ordering Food In Time
We’ve fought for the past year over things she seems horrible, and I do not want to see her right now because tension is high. Do I just suck it up and set up a time and let her win? What do I do
#55 I Wanna Just Say Thank You But That Feels Small
#56 Unless?
#57 My Buddy Confessed His Feelings For A Girl, Both Me And Him Are Lost
#58 I Need Help
#59 This Girl I Matched With Works At An Airline. I Asked If She Was A Flight Attendant After Some Back And Forth. Wasn’t My Intention To Assume So How Do I Bounce Back?
#60 Received This Text From An Unknown Number And I Have No Idea Why They’d Give The Police My Number. Not Sure If It’s A Mistake Or A Joke Or What But I Don’t Know Where To Go From Here
#61 Pretty Sure Im On The Wrong Track
