This Is the Worst Text Message You Can Send Someone

It’s only one single letter, but science says it’s the most universally dreaded text message you could send or receive.

According to a new study published by the International Journal of Mobile Communications, a simple “K” is apparently the worst text that could pop up on your phone.

Ranked as the most negatively received response in a text conversation, "K" is often interpreted as the person sending the message being passive-aggressive, emotionless or disinterested in the conversation.

According to Fast Company, it “has the power to shut down a conversation and leave the recipient spiraling."

Many people consider it even worse than being left on read, which is its own form of brutal.

However, while “K” comes off harsh and cold, the double-letter variant “kk” is typically interpreted with a softer, more friendly and casual tone.

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Other anxiety-inducing text messages include the vaguely foreboding "Call me" text, which often has us convinced of the worst calamities possible, or the even more stomach-dropping, pre-breakup message, "We need to talk."

While actual phone calls still reign supreme, text messaging is one of the most preferred methods of modern communication today thanks to its speed, casual nature and convenience.

More than 80 percent of all Americans, or roughly 240 million people, send and/or receive text messages on their personal phones every day in the U.S. alone.

More than 6 billion texts are sent in the U.S. in any given 24-hour period. That's 227 million texts per hour!

In 2021, American phone users sent over 2 trillion text messages. (Hopefully the majority of them included more than one dreaded letter.)