"Read but No Reply" vs. "Not Even Reading It"... A Debate Over Replies Among Office Workers and Romantic Partners [What Do You Think?]

[Financial News] Online users are divided over which is more uncomfortable: reading a message without replying, commonly known as "leaving someone on read," or not reading it at all while putting off a response, known as "leaving someone on unread."
The debate began with a post uploaded to an online community on the 26th. The writer said there are times when they intentionally do not check a message right away because they want to respond thoughtfully.
Comments continued to pour in over which is more unpleasant—leaving someone on read or leaving them on unread—and the post recorded 1.74 million views in just two days.
Some online users said they found it more irritating when someone left a message unread and did not respond for a long time.
One online user said, "I don't feel bad at all when someone leaves me on read because I take it to mean that they want to end the conversation for now, but I don't know what I'm supposed to make of leaving a message unread."
Others, however, said it was more uncomfortable when no reply came after the message had clearly been marked as read.
One online user said, "Some people are busy, so they read a message first and plan to reply later," adding, "The moment I see that the other person has read my message, I wait endlessly." The user also said they would prefer to be told in advance, "I'll reply later," if the person is unable to respond immediately.
Others noted that leaving a message unread does not necessarily mean someone is intentionally ignoring the other person. In some cases, people put off even checking a message because they are trying to compose a careful reply.
One online user said, "I go back and forth trying to figure out how to reply to the other person's message," adding, "Sometimes I end up leaving it unread for two or three days because I mistakenly think I have already sent the reply."
By contrast, another response said, "I have nothing to say, and it isn't important, so I can't be bothered to reply and leave it unread forever."
Some people said that, regardless of the distinction, the lack of a reply itself feels burdensome.
One online user lamented, "When I don't receive a reply to a message I sent, being left on read simply makes me feel bad, while being left on unread makes me anxious that I may have done something wrong to that person."
For the person delaying a reply, it may be an effort to respond carefully. But the person waiting may feel ignored or worry that something is wrong with the relationship.
Ultimately, people's reactions to being left on read or unread differed because everyone has different standards for when to read a message and how to respond.

[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter