Pitt students are done being ignored on social media

A lot of problems that millennials struggle with today pertain to self-confidence. Students claim that being ignored on various social media platforms such as Snapchat or Facebook Messenger have significant impacts on self-confidence and esteem.

Sending a text and receiving no response in fifteen minutes is no biggie, but receiving no response within 12 hours is unheard of among Pitt students.

One student saw updates to her friend's Snapchat story and Twitter feed, but no reply after asking a risqué question. They expressed a great deal of discomfort and sadness when explaining the ordeal. "It felt really shitty," she said of being ignored by her friend for over 17 hours.

Ignoring someone via social media may be a simple way to dodge conflict, but it may pose a larger underlying problem for students here at Pitt. Another student said that he asked a floor-mate if they wanted to go out for dinner, and proceeded to see them in Market Central with another floor-mate. "You can't pick and choose your friends, but a nice reply would've been nice so I wouldn't have felt like a dumbass," this student commented.

'We've all ignored people over our phones, but it actually sucks to have it happen to you. I felt like nothing.'

Not replying to someone may seem like a good way to avoid a sticky situation, but according to some students, it makes everything a lot more messy.

Hey, why'd you leave me at that party?

"I was at this party in South Side with this girl Rebecca, who I thought was my friend, but she straight up ditched me, and I had to find out how to get home on my own. I texted her like eight times, and I didn't hear back from her until the next morning. I totally saw her snap story, and she was back at Towers in some random girl's dorm. What a 'see you next Tuesday', am I right?" – Jake, 19

"I was at my first party with my roommate, but I ended up not being able to find him and just kinda sat in the corner for an hour or so. I got back to the dorm to see a sticky note on the door. This was our signal for banging. I texted him asking where he went, and it would've been nice to have at least been told what was happening so I wouldn't have wondered" -Anonymous

Ignoring someone over social media has its consequences. It can leave someone frantic over what they may or may not have done wrong, and it can also leave them worried as to whether you're alive or not.

One other issue many students encounter is getting left by their friends at parties. This is a problem for various reasons. Students may not be in a position to get home safely, and they may run into trouble. When students reach out to their friends who left, they are often ignored simply because their friends are more focused on their current situation rather than that of their abandoned friend. This can lead to messy situations warranting legal action, which no one wants.

Solutions

Leave a damn reply. Text them back. It's not like they're going to punch you (hopefully). Don't make them feel worthless. Everyone matters here at Pitt, and it's unfair to make someone seem as though they don't.