Returning messages - a lost courtesy?

Most of my over - 45 business colleagues have a belief that it’s only Millenials who won’t return phone calls, emails or messages. For a long time I’ve also been one of this group who stereotype young internet / Netflix-and-chill / online lighties as not having manners or respect to return messages. OK, I exaggerated a bit: Some people return messages—quickly and informatively. But most do not.
I understand that in this always on, wired-in world that there is so much noise out there that something can get lost in the matrix…. point taken. I also admit people are really busy – but seriously, too busy to pop a quick emoji of acknowledgement? What disturbs me is that people don’t seem too disturbed about this…
Call me a “ballie”, but I always felt that like opening doors for ladies, returning messages was important, a sign of reliability, a good thing in business. I’ve always made it a point to return all messages regardless of whether it was an unsolicited email or Whatsapp message. I might have left just a very short voice mail or a brief email, but I still returned them. I viewed it as a responsibility.

It comes down to two things that leave a bitter taste in my mouth: People are lazy or just plain rude.

1. The lazy kind probably would rather avoid the hard stuff. Perhaps they are passive aggressive, or just don’t know how to react when confronted by direct questions… Conflict is unpleasant, as is the notion someone might not be doing something all that well. So if there’s not a clear expectation that a definite answer is required, it’s easier and less stressful to ignore and forget it.
2. The rude kind – blissfully unaware or uncaring due to their self-imposed power or status that they can keep people in suspense. Personally, do we need to deal with people like this, or just suck it up and pander to their self-aggrandized egos?​

I always felt responding to messages was kind of the unglamorous basics of how business got done. Unexciting and tedious, but a necessity…. kind of like shaving (I choose not to). But I sometimes wonder what the longer-term business implications are for productivity in a world with diminished responsiveness.