The Silence of Replies: Understanding LINE's "Read/Unread" in Japan and Abroad

The Silence of Replies: Understanding LINE's "Read/Unread" in Japan and Abroad

2025年06月13日 01:44

Table of Contents

  1. What are "Read Ignored" and "Unread Ignored"?

  2. The "Instant Response" Culture Rooted in Japan and Generational Differences

  3. How Do Overseas Users Feel? — Comparison with WhatsApp and iMessage

  4. Psychological Impact and Attachment Styles

  5. Five Tech Settings & Manners to Reduce Stress

  6. Risks of "Read Ignored" in Business and Public Scenes

  7. The Future of the "Notification Economy" — The Future of Messaging Culture

  8. Conclusion


1. What are "Read Ignored" and "Unread Ignored"?

LINE implemented the read receipt feature in 2011, allowing both parties to confirm whether a message has been opened with the "Read" indication. This system has led to

  • Read Ignored: The state where a message is marked as read but there is no reply

  • Unread Ignored: The state where a message is not marked as read and there is no reply
    becoming common terms in everyday language. In a 2019 survey, about 70% of 55 university students responded that "Read/Unread Ignored" is likely to occur in group chats, especially when the number of members exceeds 7 to 10jstage.jst.go.jp.jstage.jst.go.jp



2. The "Instant Response" Culture Rooted in Japan and Generational Differences


2-1. Generational Temperature Differences

According to an IT writer's interview, the majority of people in their 20s prefer to "reply all at once later" even if they mark a message as read, while those in their 40s to 50s tend to think "it's rude not to reply immediately after reading"pinzuba.news. It is analyzed that the difference in primary communication methods (email, bulletin boards, letters) used by each generation has influenced their response expectations.pinzuba.news


2-2. Psychological Burden on Young People

Research on attachment styles and being ignored after a message has been read suggests that young people with "anxious attachment" tend to experience stronger negative emotions from being ignored and have lower self-esteem.atomi.repo.nii.ac.jp.atomi.repo.nii.ac.jp



3. How Do Overseas Users Feel? ── Comparison with WhatsApp and iMessage

After the introduction of WhatsApp's "blue check (double blue check)," the term "Blue Tick Anxiety" emerged, particularly in Singapore. However, recently, there is a growing trend of accepting delayed responses as if they were emails.zula.sg. In the United States and Europe, many users turn off the read receipt feature, and Lifewire's guide also recommends "turning off read receipts for privacy."lifewire.com.zula.sglifewire.com


On the other hand, in Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand, where LINE is mainstream, there is often an unspoken understanding that one should respond immediately after a message is read. From a cultural anthropological perspective, it is explained that in Japan, which belongs to a high-context culture (high context dependency), there is a tendency to emphasize implicit signals.High-context culture.



4. Psychological Impact and Attachment Styles

An international study in 2017 pointed out that read receipts "create expectations by 'visualizing' the availability of the other person, amplifying anxiety and pressure."scispace.com. In LINE group chats, the "blank space where no one replies" can exacerbate anxiety and has been reported to potentially lead to decreased productivity in academic and work settings.scispace.com

5. Five Tech Settings & Manners to Reduce Stress

  1. "Sneak Peek" with Pop-ups & Notification Previews

  2. Prepare Replies with Draft Notes Before Marking as Read

  3. Automatically Silence Late Night Notifications with "Do Not Disturb" Mode

  4. Switch Off Read Receipts on WhatsApp and iMessageairdroid.comlearn.rasayel.io

  5. Switch to Voice Calls or Emails for Long Messages to Avoid Immediate Response Pressure airdroid.comlearn.rasayel.io



6. The Risks of Leaving Messages Unread in Business and Public Scenes

  • Customer Service: Delayed responses after reading can increase complaint rates and affect brand loyalty

  • School Communication Networks: A high number of unread messages can lead to dysfunction in emergency communications

  • Internal Coordination: When bosses enforce immediate responses, a "pressure culture" can spread, lowering employee satisfaction



7. The Future of the "Notification Economy" — The Future of Message Culture

Messenger companies are developing AI summarization and automatic status update features. In the future, context notifications such as "Reply might be delayed due to busy schedule"Context Notifications could become standardized, potentially alleviating the stress of leaving messages unread.




8. Conclusion

Leaving messages read or unread is not merely a matter of manners, but a complex phenomenon where culture, generations, and psychology intersect.I would like to focus on communication that protects the "space in the hearts of myself and others" by utilizing the tech settings and manners introduced in this article.



Reference Article List

  • Kiminori Usuki et al. "Basic Research on Characteristics of Groups Easy to Ignore in LINE Group Chats" Japan Society for Science Education Annual Conference Proceedings (2019)jstage.jst.go.jp

  • Pinzuba NEWS "Young People Who Are Okay with Being Left on Read and Middle-aged People Who Respond Immediately After Reading" (2024-10-14)pinzuba.news

  • Mood States of Young People Regarding Ignored or Unread Messages on LINE (Atomi University Counseling Research)atomi.repo.nii.ac.jp

  • ZULA.sg “Blue Tick Anxiety: Why Being Blue Ticked On WhatsApp No Longer Upsets Me” (2023-12-20)zula.sg

  • Lifewire “WhatsApp Check Marks Explained” (2025-04)lifewire.com

  • Hoyle et al. “Exploring the Impact of Read Receipts in Mobile Instant Messaging” (2017)scispace.com

  • Airdroid Blog “How to Turn Off Read Receipts on WhatsApp” (2024)airdroid.com

  • Rasayel Blog “WhatsApp Read Receipts Explained” (2024)learn.rasayel.io

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