Permanently show times in text messages?

In Ventura iMessage app, is there a way to 'toggle' the display of time stamps on each text message? One can make them visible of course, but the times disappear again when you type something new. I want to decide when the time stamp shows while keeping the stamp in view until I shut off the view. The time takes up so little screen space on a desktop (or even laptop) display, why must it be OFF by default?