Why is the typing indicator so stressful compared to silence?

[MadisonAA]

I’ve noticed I’m starting to feel a real pang of anxiety whenever I see those three little dots appear in a messaging app, especially when they stop and start. I wait for a reply that doesn’t come, and it completely derails my focus. Does anyone else find this specific indicator of someone typing, then not sending, more stressful than just waiting in silence?

[Chloe_H]

I feel the same sometimes. Those little dots ping my brain and I start predicting a reply I never get, which derails my focus.

[Stephen19]

I've noticed I get calmer if I mute the convo or set a time limit for checking messages, then stick to it.

[Kenneth29]

On days when my mood is low, the dots magnify everything and I read into it more than there is.

[PaulXW]

Do you think the real issue is not the dots but how we expect instant answers in the first place?