They're a refuge from the GDPR cookie banners, the trashy ads, the email opt-ins, and the god-forsaken auto-play video.
A text-only webpage is clean. It's readable. It's fast and it's simple.
You've probably lost some engagement by keeping things so clean, but you're contributing to a simple, calm, and happier internet.
The fear that being the one who always initiates makes you weak. Think about it, when was the last time you were annoyed that someone reached out to check in? When did you ever think less of someone for being the one to text you? Never. Because connection isn't about scorekeeping. It's about courage.
The fence isn't there. It never was. It's just the memory of some childhood rejection, some social rule someone made up, some fear that caring more makes you matter less. Here's the truth: The person who reaches out first isn't the weak one.
Your breakthrough isn't on the other side of productivity or success or self-improvement. It's on the other side of that text you're not sending. That call you're not making. That “I miss you” stuck in your throat.