Aggressive messages in an online chat I
Mike, a teenager, recently got a smartphone, and in addition to interacting with his peers, he also talks to his relatives in a chat. One person to whom he is also happy to talk through the app is his aunt Megan. Megan’s workdays are long and busy, and she sends her thoughts in short, fragmentary messages at the moments when she has small breaks. Mike thinks it is weird because he himself writes long thoughts as a whole. One day, they are discussing a hot topic in the society, and Megan keeps sending new and new messages on top of each other. Mike, seeing such a flow of messages, feels as if Megan were very aggressive and yelling at him.
What would you do in Mike's place?
- 1. I will write honestly to aunt Megan that I don’t understand why she’s so mean in messaging.
- 2. I will ask my mother if she understands why aunt Megan is kind of mean to me.
- 3. I will not write to aunt Megan anymore. I would rather write with my mates – to preserve my peace of mind.
- 4. I will suggest to aunt Megan that we would talk when we meet.
- 5. I will ask aunt Megan what way she would like to talk to me, because it seems to me that communication through the app is not suitable for her.