gratia

The thing with SMS/Whatsapp is instant gratification. It is silently creeping up on us, and few know how to handle it — and when it hits them, it has already become a tricky situation. It doesn't help that everyone has different expectations: To reply instantly, or not? Does it even warrant a reply? If no one replies me in a group chat, does it say something about me? If someone doesn't reply me, does that make me any less a friend of him/her?

Whilst we may be able to be secure in our own skin (or lack of replies/replying), how often do we think about the other party? How do we discern showing enough care to take time to respond or check up on them and feeding their attention desires?

The melting pot has melted over even virtually, and into our personal lives. We need to have more open dialogue in learning how to draw/re-draw boundaries, especially with virtual ones in mind. The pervasiveness of social media means that isn't as simple as being out of sight/out of mind (and even out of touch) anymore...

Lord have mercy.