What Does 'I Ain't Reading All That' Mean? The Famous DM Texting Etiquette Meme, Explained

When the message expands beyond one screenful, demanding you scroll down to get past its thesis statement, you might say to yourself "I ain't reading all that." Everybody has been on both sides of this interaction, either pouring their heart out to a friend or receiving, suddenly, an essay on their phone when they were busy doing other stuff.

The "I ain't reading all that" screenshot offers the perfect reaction. It's also the text which people mostly never send out of politeness, since a long text is usually fishing for a long response and you feel as if you should reply the right way.

Where Does 'I Ain't Reading All That' Come From?

The image was first posted to the broader internet by a Twitter / X novelty account committed to posting "no context dm." The account was nourished by fans who would send in submissions. This was back in December 2019, and the post really took off because it perfectly fit a highly relatable situation.

What Was The Original Message That 'I Ain't Reading'?

The point of the "no context dm" account was to offer DMs without context. But later on, a poster claiming to have been the mind behind the account offered some context about the famous screenshot. It seems to have been a message exchanged between friends, but it remains up to the imagination of viewers to figure out what the gray text bubble person with a Keanu Reeves profile picture was replying to.

Might it be a confession, a diaristic account of somebody's day, or some hot take about the future of the internet? The world will never know, and that's what makes it so possible to apply your own meaning to the meme.

Why Do People Post 'I Ain't Reading All That'?

The post comes in handy for a relatable and notorious kind of situation. It also became a way to tell someone else that their post was simply too long and wordy, to remind them that sometimes less is more. On a text-based platform like Twitter / X this kind of reaction image was very necessary.

This meme is necessary because occasionally, a piece of writing can simply go on and on for no apparent reason. It isn't just text messages, but it can also be forms of writing like posts, explainers and other such content. After somebody makes their point, they sometimes just continue to throw text your way.

Reading long pieces of repetitive writing is something many people have to do. These texts can simply go on and on, sharing intimate feelings or quotidian facts. These texts can be fun of great feeling that is simply directed towards the wrong receiver. It's nothing personal, you do really wish the best for whoever wrote it. But sometimes, as a piece of writing just extends on and on, the only thing you want to say is,

For the full history of "I ain't reading all that," be sure to check out Know Your Meme's entry for even more information.