Study finds this text response is the ultimate emotional trigger

In the world of texting, one tiny message, or rather letter, has been officially crowned the most emotionally triggering: 'K.'

It might look harmless, but this single letter has the power to shut down a conversation and leave the recipient seething.

Imagine that you take the time to write out a proper message, and back comes a single, dismissive 'K'. Not even the courtesy of 'OK' – just one letter, full stop.

Unsurprisingly, it's a universal feeling. A 2023 study published in the Journal of Mobile Communication found that the response is the most negatively received in digital chats. It even ranked worse than being left on read, or even receiving a vague 'sure'.

The study suggested that the single letter response "conveys emotional distance, passive-aggressiveness, or disinterest".

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Over on social media, especially X/Twitter, the frustration around the use of 'K' has sparked countless threads and memes. It’s become a running joke (and a genuine gripe) with one user summing it up perfectly: "When someone responds with 'K' or a thumbs up emoji, I get so triggered, I’d rather you say nothing at all."

Another wrote: "'K' is the worst, most annoying, irritating, aggravating response ever."

A third shared an experience of their own, writing: "Texting your teen is like dating someone who isn't interested in you... ME: 'I love you! Hope you have a great day!' Teen: 'K.'"

Meanwhile, one 'K' advocate penned: "I’ve learned that rather than replying with a wall of text explaining how you feel, you should just type “K” and hit send. No sense in wasting your valuable words."

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