Avoiding this surprising social etiquette faux pas is as simple as checking the settings on your phone. While it may seem minor, leaving on read receipts—particularly when you don’t respond to people right away—can be perceived as seriously rude, as is the case with email.
“Reading a message without responding for more than a day, even in a personal setting, is really unacceptable,” says Thomas. “I know that a lot of people don’t really feel that a text is acceptable in business, but again, if you read their text, you need to get back to them. The rule is within a day in personal settings and in business, it’s two to three days.” And when you need to unplug, discover the 30 Best Reasons to Take a Digital Detox.