Read receipts are polarizing. You either love them or you hate them. For years, I absolutely hated them. I wondered why anyone would want to share this kind of information with other people. But alas, I’ve had a change of heart, and have come to the realization that read receipts can change your life for the better.

For those of you not familiar with this concept, read receipts let the person you’re texting know if you’ve read their message or not. The iPhone gives you the option to have them on or not.

Anyone who has ever texted me knows that I am horrible at this type of communication. I am that person who either responds days later, responds with one word, or never responds. Looking back at this behavior, I am truly disappointed with my old self. This terrible habit actually put me in horrible situations, where I would have to lie about why I never responded to your texts. I would say things like “Oh, my phone was broken” or “Your text must’ve never gone through” to explain my utter laziness for not responding.

About a month ago, I decided to take a leap of faith, and turn read receipts on. My world changed. Read receipts now keep me accountable. They keep me in line. They instill a new level of responsibility in my texting manners.

By having them on, the person I’m texting knows if I’ve read it or not. And that means that I know that I have to respond, or else they’ll think I’m a horrible person.

I’d be lying if I said I’m now great at texting. I still sometimes respond with one word answers. But read receipts have made me care about the conversation I’m having with someone. They make me a better human being.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions shared in this article are those of the writer, and not Zephyrus as a whole.