Messages and Calls Ignored? A Survey of Four Thousand Smartphone Users on Non‐Response Behavior

Abstract

We are living in a world where a lot of people maintain constant connectivity through sending and receiving messages and calls. Contemporary research has focused on how smartphones disconnect us from our physical environment. Yet, in a digital disconnect, almost daily, people choose not to respond to certain messages or calls, which can make the sender anxious and adversely affect their communication. The first phase of this project consisted of an interview study of 24 participants which led to publications covering the sender and receiver perspectives. A follow‐up large‐scale survey of 4,001 respondents was carried out to investigate the receiver's reasons for not responding including the role of power, the psychological impact on the sender, and other communication. Theories on information avoidance, power, interpersonal deception, and emotions inform this study. Preliminary findings are shared here. The findings will inform the fields of information science, communication, psychology, and mental health, and should help software designers build tools to help users communicate their context to each other.