Group chats. Whether it’s with your friends, family, colleagues, sports team, reading club, or maybe even your Nan’s friends, we’ve all been part of one at some point. They allow you to make group plans and they mean you don’t have to copy and paste a message to all your friends. Of course that’s not to say they’re without some negatives. I’m sure we’ve all had that moment where we’re screaming at our phone screen “That’s it. I’m quitting”. Let’s be honest we’ve all done it. Here’s just a few of the other thought’s we’ve all had whilst being part of a group chat.
They all hate me!
There’s nothing worse than that moment when you send a really funny joke to the chat and nobody replies. You become fixated with checking to see if anybody has sent a “LOL” or a laughing emoji but it never comes. It gets so awkward you can practically see the tumbleweed rolling across the chat. This is where you start to panic. Am I funny? Do they hate me? Have they only included me in the chat out of pity? Why do I care so much?
Do I have to answer?
No matter how much we hate our messages being ignored, we’ve all done it back. Perhaps the message is a little sensitive or awkward and you’re not sure on how to reply. So what do you do? You wait for inspiration from the other replies. This is a great theory until 3 days later you realise that nobody has actually replied and that pesky tumbleweed makes another appearance.
How many memes can I send before I become annoying?
Who doesn’t love a good meme or a cheeky GIF? They’re amazing fun and at time the perfect way to show sass. However the chat may get a little frustrated if all of your replies come in the shape of a sarcastic meme or an overused GIF.
With great power comes great responsibility. Use your memes wisely.
Woah, rude!
The problem with group chats is very similar to the problems with social media. It’s incredibly hard to gage a person’s tone through typed text. Somebody could make a joke, but lack of visible emotion may lead you to taking offence and thinking it’s an insult. It’s so easy to misread comments and situations through a screen. Before you kick off and reply in anger, take a step away from the chat and from your phone for a while. Come back with a clear head and you may even see the intended funny side of the comment.
Shut Up!
One of the most annoying first world problems has to be when you’re after a little bit of peace but you’re constantly being bombarded by notifications. You could of course turn your data or WiFi off if you’re looking for complete calmness. If however you’re just after a little break from the constant dings or vibrations of the chat don’t forget, mute is your friend!
Mute the conversation and chip in and out whenever you feel like it. You’re in control of what you see and what you don’t see.
I love these guys!
Despite all the negatives around group chats they can be incredible. You have your very own support system and team of fans in your jeans pocket. They’ll love you when you need loving, they’ll offer advice when you’re lost and they’ll of course make you howl with laughter when you need picking up. Just remember, if the chat is being particularly naughty try not to read the messages on public transport. Nobody wants to LOL on the bus in rush hour!
