To see a message and not reply is considered a virtual slap in the face these days.
It evokes feelings of being ignored or rejected.
To avoid this some people will deliberately delay reading a message til they are ready to reply.
But then the neurotic can say check the delivery report and start to make wild assumptions from there.
Really these metrics from Whatsapp are more of a curse then a benefit.
But why don’t people respond right away?
I theorize that deliberate delays in response are particularly prevalent when there is a request for commitment.
That it’s easier to pretend you didn’t read the message then to say
“I’m not coming because I’m tired and I want an early night.”
The person who does not shy away from giving their open and honest opinion has nothing to fear, they can reply immediately.
Or the person who isn’t afraid of setting realistic and potentially unpopular expectations can message without worry:
“I’ll try to finish in time but there’s a good chance I won’t make it”
Thomas Duggan 