Relationship experts warn: turn off those blue ticks on WhatsApp

When you send your love a message with rainbows, hearts, and sweet pink clouds, you obviously expect a reply within three and a half seconds.

If he doesn't reply, while you can clearly see from those ticks that he has read it, then all hell breaks loose. Super hell. Because how dare he? You sent HEARTS! You're asking something, right? Where does he get the nerve to ignore you? What is he doing? He must have someone else. He probably replies to someone else. Furious. Figure it out then, with your life. You're done with it. After half an hour seeing “Hi darling” on your screen.

You can recognize such situations or not, but it's not unusual. We humans experience quite a bit of stress and worries because of those blue ticks on WhatsApp, it turns out. Because when you see that someone has read something, you also expect an instant reply. And you always forget that the person whose attention you want can read a message but is busy driving, grocery shopping, or, you know, just working and therefore can't reply for a moment. Just because they are busy. Yes, you won't believe it, but people sometimes have other activities outside the digital app world. So you often get an unjust signal that you are being rejected, because no response is not rejection – there is just no time at the moment.

So if you've already broken up with your love fourteen times in your head because he doesn't respond to your pressing messages, quickly go to your Settings and turn off those ticks once and for all. You can always send ??????????????? if it takes longer than those three and a half seconds. Nice old-fashioned.

FACTS

• At least 92% of people with a smartphone use WhatsApp.
• We check our phones 80 to 120 times a day.
• The most popular hashtag on Instagram is #love, with 1.22 trillion pieces, followed by #instagood with 704 million posts. Number three on the list is #photooftheday with 478 million tags.