Is it true that immediately deleting spam emails is "counterproductive"? The shortest route to increase ##HTML_TAG_## - "Don't look at spam, but don't delete it" - A seemingly contradictory yet rational reason

Is it true that immediately deleting spam emails is "counterproductive"? The shortest route to increase ##HTML_TAG_## - "Don't look at spam, but don't delete it" - A seemingly contradictory yet rational reason

Spam Emails: It's Not Just About Deleting

The moment spam emails hit our inbox, our fingers instinctively reach for the "delete" button. We don't want to see them, touch them, and we want them gone as soon as possible—that's a natural reaction. However, from the perspective of spam email management, “immediate deletion” is not always the best solution.


The point is simple. Many email services have systems that automatically determine spam, and user actions (such as which emails are marked as spam) are crucial in enhancing the accuracy of these filters. In other words, your small effort can change "where the next spam email ends up."


Why Just Deleting Doesn't Reduce Spam

Spam filters don't suddenly become genius. They collect a vast amount of signals, learn, and gradually reduce false positives. What helps here is the “verification” from users.

  • "This is spam" → Report as spam / Move to spam folder

  • "This is not spam" → Rescue from spam folder (return to non-spam)


The more this back-and-forth occurs, the smarter the filter becomes. Conversely, simply deleting spam emails that arrive in your inbox leaves the service with only the fact that they "disappeared," which is weak as learning material for spam detection. As a result, similar emails are more likely to slip into your inbox again.

The “Correct Handling” You Can Start Today

While maintaining the premise of not opening or touching spam emails, three steps are sufficient.


1) Report spam emails in your inbox as "spam" or move them to the spam folder
Most services allow you to report with just one button. This provides clear feedback to the filter.


2) Check the spam folder “occasionally”
The spam folder is a "place where dangerous items are quarantined," but it's also a "waiting room for false positives." It's not uncommon for invoices, reservation confirmations, or work-related emails to get mixed in. You don't have to check it daily. Even once a week can prevent irreparable oversights.


3) Deletion comes last. If necessary, handle it in bulk from the spam folder
Once the “classification” of spam emails is done, you can delete them. In fact, following the order of classification → learning → deletion gradually improves the environment.

Answer to "Is it dangerous to even look?": The danger lies in “opening or interacting”

This is where anxiety arises. "Isn't it scary to move or report them?" "Won't I get infected just by touching them?"

Generally, simply receiving an email doesn't immediately put you at risk. The danger level spikes with the following actions.

  • Clicking on links within the email

  • Opening/executing attachments

  • Entering authentication information (ID/password) or personal information

  • Replying and indicating it's a “live address”


In other words, classification tasks should be done “without opening” and without touching suspicious content. The basic action is to select from the received list and move to spam.

Identifying Spam Emails is Generally Common

The tactics of spam emails become more sophisticated each year, but often, if you look closely, some “sloppiness” remains. For example—

  • Unknown sender, mismatch between sender name and domain

  • Strange Japanese, awkward honorifics, many typos

  • Phrases like "urgent," "by today," "account suspension" to incite anxiety

  • Rushing you to click or open attachments

  • Sloppy logos or signatures, slightly different company names


The typical strategy is to "rush you and rob your judgment." Conversely, calmly "classifying and ending it" is strong.

SNS Reactions: "Don't Delete" Contradicts Intuition, So It Gains Traction

This topic tends to gain traction on social media because there's a gap between "feelings" and "the right answer." The timeline usually features the following types of reactions.

 


1) The Agreeable: "I see, it doesn't make sense unless you inform the filter"
Voices nodding to the rationality of "it's important to treat spam emails as spam." Especially those inclined towards IT are familiar with the concept of "training" the system.


2) The Realists: "I get it, but I hate looking at the spam folder"
A group that speaks honestly about the psychological hurdle. Indeed, the spam folder is a "place for things you don't want to see." That's why it becomes a realistic solution to "set rules and check it briefly" rather than daily.

3) The Anxious: "Isn't it over once you open it?"
Many misunderstand “classification work = opening.” In reality, many services allow you to move items from the list, so knowing that you can "handle it without touching the content" reduces anxiety.


4) The Skeptics: "Even if I mark them as spam, they don't decrease?"
This is a serious concern. On SNS and in communities, complaints like "even after marking as spam, they come again the next day" are common. Spam emails are sent in large numbers with different tactics and senders, so they won't be zero. However, accumulating classifications can potentially reduce the “rate of mixing into the inbox.”


On X (formerly Twitter), there are multiple posts with themes like "deleting spam emails is wrong" or "you should report them," circulating alongside media articles and creating a buzz. The media's message resonates as a "life hack," while SNS expands it with reactions like "I agree" or "it's difficult."

Winning Against Spam Emails with "Habits" Over "Operations"

In conclusion, the key to becoming resilient to spam emails is not advanced techniques but establishing a routine.

  • Spam emails in the inbox should be marked as “spam” instead of deleted

  • Set a frequency, like once a week, to briefly check the spam folder

  • Never open suspicious links or attachments

  • Rescue false positives and adjust the filter


Spam emails won't disappear. But you can increase the “probability of protecting your inbox.”
Shift from "delete and end" to "inform and reduce." The one email you receive today could be a step towards reducing stress next week.


Sources

Related Articles