There are sentences that sound neutral but carry the weight of accusation. In the digital workplace, none is as short, as frequent, and as tense as: “Are you there?”

In digital work, silence is no longer neutral. It’s suspicious.

When the “typing…” bubble appears in a chat, everyone knows something is happening. When it doesn’t, a quiet discomfort creeps in. Did you see the message? Are you ignoring it? Are you even there?