'Dating' is not a new concept. However, the types of anxiety or concerns that arise daily around this subject are constantly changing. Various anxieties would arise in the mind before secretly meeting or talking to one's partner, and this happened before as well. Even when reading a letter from a beloved person away from prying eyes, thousands of butterflies would flutter in the stomach. But now in this digital age, that anxiety and the image of butterflies fluttering seems to have changed somewhat. How?
For instance, let's say you are chatting with your partner on a messaging app. A tug-of-war begins in your mind about whether they have seen your message or not. Just sending the message doesn't satisfy our minds. Everything remains topsy-turvy until the double black ticks turn blue! Critics say that in the time it takes for black ticks to turn blue, how many relationships failed to connect despite trying, failed to form despite attempting – does this cruel technology-driven internet world remember the answer?
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Though there's no particular need to mention it, let's explain the matter from the beginning. After sending a message on WhatsApp, seeing two black ticks below the message means the message has been sent. That is, the message has reached the recipient's phone. Then comes the wait for the crucial moment – the turn of the black ticks to blue. Turning blue means the message recipient has read the message. That is, after receiving the letter, the envelope has finally been opened! Psychologists say that these blue tick marks have given people as much relief as they have increased suffering. A new chapter of anxiety has emerged around WhatsApp – 'Blue Tick Anxiety'.
What is this 'Blue Tick Anxiety'?
If black ticks take too long to turn blue, various questions peek into our minds. Such as – "It shows online, so why didn't they see my message?" or "The last seen time is much later than when my message was received. So why didn't mine turn blue?" Again, even after black ticks turn blue, if an immediate reply doesn't come, various questions keep circling in the mind. Such as – "It shows typing in green letters below the name. But why am I not getting a reply?" or "Are they ignoring me? Are they deliberately not seeing my message?" When no reply comes even after a long time, conflicts often arise within oneself. Questions arise in the mind, "Did I write something wrong? They saw it but didn't reply!"
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According to psychologists, 'Blue Tick Anxiety' takes over our minds in this way. Sometimes misconceptions are formed about the person on the other side. Its impact also affects the relationship. There could be valid reasons for the person on the other side not seeing the message immediately or not replying even after seeing it. But by overthinking, we reach a state where we don't want to understand the other person's logic either.
However, technology has somewhat provided a way to overcome this anxiety. That is to turn off the blue tick option itself. This has two benefits. First, there will be no way to know whether the recipient has read a message sent to someone. Second, those who send me messages won't be able to know whether I have read them or not. As a result, there's no possibility of anxiety being created. Howver, this perspective may vary on a people-to-people basis, based on requirements and usage of social media and instant messaging platforms.
