Why ‘k' is the most hated text message, according to science
A study has confirmed what we all suspected: 'K' is officially the worst text you can send.
It might look harmless enough, but this single letter has the power to shut down a conversation and leave the recipient spiraling. According to a study published in the Journal of Mobile Communication, 'K' was ranked as the most negatively received response in digital conversations—worse than being left on read or even a passive-aggressive 'sure.'
The study found that the single-letter reply often signals emotional distance, passive-aggressiveness, or outright disinterest. Despite its brevity, 'K' carries surprising emotional weight. Adding an extra letter—making it 'kk'—softens the tone of the reply entirely. Variants like 'ok' or 'okay,' while still cold, tend to be interpreted as neutral or merely formal.
Many of our day-to-day conversations happen over text, which means there are now unspoken codes of conduct to follow. Opening up about your emotions but don't want to sound too serious? Make sure to add 'lol' to the end of those texts to show you're just in a silly, goofy mood and not suicidal. Giving advice to a friend that you don't want to be held accountable for? Add an 'idk' at the end of the sentence to mitigate culpability.
Non-verbal cues like tone, facial expressions, and body language can be difficult to convey via our phones, leaving the door wide open for misunderstanding and misinterpretation. Sometimes generational differences also impact how we send and interpret texts. In some cases, textual miscommunications can be relationship killers, research has found.
Some texters recognize the power of 'k' and are willing to weaponize the letter to serve their own motives. One X user called it 'the digital equivalent of slamming the door while making dead eye contact.' Another added: 'K is short for 'you're dead to me.''
Others advocate for the convenience of the single-letter response: '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.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News24
26 minutes ago
- News24
Renewables revamp: Govt wants to halve timelines for power projects
Be among those who shape the future with knowledge. Uncover exclusive stories that captivate your mind and heart with our FREE 14-day subscription trial. Dive into a world of inspiration, learning, and empowerment. You can only trial once. Start your FREE trial now
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
New Attack Steals Your Windows Email, Passwords, 2FA Codes And More
The latest Katz malware version can steal most everything. Infostealers are the new black. When it comes to hacking fashion, malware that steals user credentials has been in vogue for a while now. We've seen the evidence in the 19 billion compromised passwords that are already available online, or the 94 billion browser cookies published to the Dark Web and Telegram channels. Microsoft has been spearheading the fight against the credential-stealing criminals, leading the recent global takedown of large parts of the Lumma Stealer network infrastructure, for example. Yet, the danger still persists; in fact, it is evolving. New research has revealed that a notorious threat to Windows users has emerged in the form of a new variant that can steal most anything and everything. Here's what you need to know about Katz. There is nothing particularly unusual about the way that the Katz Stealer malware is distributed. Victims are targeted through the usual cybercriminal methods, including phishing emails, malicious advertisements, dangerous search results, and dodgy downloads. Once installed, however, Katz looks to see if you are using Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge or the Brave web browser and goes into what is known as headless mode. This is pretty much as it sounds, a browser with no visible interface, running 'headless' in the background but with the body able to render pages and interact with the web as normal. Katz can also bypass Google's app-bound encryption protections for Chrome, according to security researchers, which would aid in the credential-stealing payload. And it's the payload that has us shaking our collective heads in disbelief. A May 23 analysis of the latest Katz Stealer malware, by the Nextron threat research team, has revealed the true extent of this steal-everything threat to Windows users. According to the full analysis, which I would recommend you go and read, after you finish here, of course, the range of Katz when it comes to data that can be stolen is, well, extensive. As well as the usual mitigation advice for consumers to deploy two-factor authentication and passkeys on all accounts where available, apply all operating system and browser security updates as soon as possible and be alert to all the usual phishing tricks, the Nextron threat research team recommended the following for enterprise users: Nextron also suggested watching out for the scanning of Windows registry keys and files associated with popular browsers and wallet applications, as this is indicative of Katz Stealer activity. As Sergeant Phil Esterhaus used to say, if you know you know, 'be careful out there.'
Motor 1
an hour ago
- Motor 1
GM Just Filed Another Interesting Trademark
Back in the mid-1960s, after the Ford Mustang debuted to huge success, Chevrolet got to work on its response. That car would become the Camaro—but that's not what the company originally called it during its development. The Camaro was codenamed the Panther, and for some reason, General Motors just filed a trademark for that name here and now in 2025. As uncovered by GMAuthority , the automaker filed the application on May 23, 2025, with the US Patent and Trademark Office, designating the Panther name for use on automobiles. However, it's unlikely Chevy will introduce a next-generation Camaro anytime soon with any sort of Panther branding. A report earlier this year alleged that the higher-ups within the automaker dismantled the weak business case for the sports car , making the Panther trademark all the more unusual and a Camaro revival unlikely. Chevrolet Camaro SS Collector's Edition Production of the sixth-generation Camaro ended in late 2023, but sales for the sports car had been declining well before its demise. Sales reached over 70,000 units in 2016, and it was wildly popular when it debuted. However, sales dwindled to less than 6,000 in its final year on sale, and you were still able to find a few new ones on dealer lots as recently as this February. Despite Chevrolet never using the Panther name for a full-blown model, the automaker did pay tribute to the codename on the Camaro Collector's Edition. The car featured a panther badge on the steering wheel and a panther integrated into the front fender script, and the car wore Panther Black metallic tintcoat or Panther Black matte exterior paint. Granted, automakers trademark names all the time that they never intend to use. GM just recently filed a trademark for Pontiac , but that doesn't mean the brand is making a comeback. That said, with Chevy lacking a Mustang competitor yet again, we hope that this new trademark actually means something. Here's More Chevrolet News: A Costco Membership Can Save You $3,000 on a New Corvette 2026 Corvette ZR1 Gets Optional 10-Piston Brake Calipers Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Source: US Patent and Trademark Office via GM Authority Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
