WhatsApp group mentality !!

Perhaps we get irate, when a slightly different person enters our group domain !

Imp Pre-script - : intended to make you laugh, not think overly and react.  This is a no response to any of the views expressed in the group by anyone earlier ! 

Every morning, all over India people are waking up to roses, inspirational quotes in pink and pious sentiments trimmed to fit in verse. Whatsapp is perhaps the most widely used messaging platform in the world. We have WA groups and many of us start the day with a coffee tumbler on hand, the other scrolling the innumerable messages on various groups that you are part of.  Some group have definitions, while most have not ! – though group size could be 256, not many would post ! but enjoy (secretly) what is written. 

Before we dismissively say that others are posting rubbish – let us remember that for some it is a great stress reliever.  I know a person (active but ageing) who openly said, when I post a GM message in the group,  and I see couple of persons acknowledging it, it is my way of announcing that I am alive and active today !! 

On a lighter note… I was purely contemplating the way individuals within larger social network groups tend to interact and find  it endlessly fascinating. This post is just an amateur effort to review my observations about interactions within WhatsApp groups over time. These are purely my lighthearted views and observations and are not based on randomized controlled trials, as is the gold standard for evidence in medicine today.  

The posts include “Good Morning” messages (some interesting, many inane), jokes, tips on health, political views, believe this is the truth,  links to news reports, links to social media posts, requests for advice/information etc. As is to be expected, there are reactions to what people post; there are also gratuitous opinions on various goings-on.   Through the day, we receive a barrage of opinions, memes, regurgitated stories, outrageous conspiracy theories, libel-seeking gossip missiles, nostalgia-laden pictures featuring moustaches, and really long jokes.   Belonging to a WhatsApp group is like a lifetime membership of a particularly loquacious and persistent cult.  

There are different people, active posting all the time, forwarding messages, some always criticizing, some always finding fault with the messages, about the timing and more.  End of the day, the phone is in your hand and you chose what to see, read and respond !!   Scroll through your WhatsApp and you'll find people  in a couple of swipes, hiding in groups behind the meme machines and the friends who reply so quickly that you fear they're secretly unemployed.  

There are some  WhatsApp lurkers. The silent friends who haven't grasped the basic concept of WhatsApp: communicating with other people. The little, glowing blue ticks are proof that they’ve seen every word, every blurry photo from nights out, every motivational mid-week meme - but they haven’t made a peep in weeks. You begin to question the point of your friendship. You know their phone hasn’t been stolen because while they have literally zero words to say to you or your other friends - even when someone cries about pain or posts something so scientific and interesting (to you at least)   

As we complain, in every group there are ‘Forwarders” (many of us would fit in that definition too! But would only call others by that name).    Always amongst the most active member of groups and one who probably has the highest posting percentage of the group. A closer look would reveal  almost no original content of interaction except forwarding or reposting others' content. Still there could be life and humour in those forwarded memes and jokes too, if only you choose to enjoy.     

WA groups also have Bomb throwers -  those   individuals who thrive on provocation. Whether it is politics, religion, science, or philosophy there is always one or more individuals who will introduce a clearly provocative stance and then walk away. This typically results in several hours of chaos and reactionary messaging, re-messaging justifications condemnation within the group. During this entire process, the provocateur is persona non grata.   

I post messages daily Spiritual, Sports, photos and more – almost all of them my originals – I get to see hundreds of messages, many of them could remain unread too.  But end of the day, how much of WA I see is decided by Me and me only.  I have developed this habit of seeing WA say once 4 hours ! – and that helps me schedule my time, though I could miss out many friendly and important messages.

Friendly yours, technology helps when we utilize it properly.  Enjoy every moment of life and allow others to live happily too  

With regards – S Sampathkumar

30.1.2024