Today, we’ll be using group chats more than ever. In fact, according to research from online smartphone retailer e2save, 93% of people are in at least one group chat.
Whilst group chats allow people to stay in touch with friends, family and the like, certain bugbears can often arise. To find out how people really feel about group chats, e2save carried out research into bad chat habits to reveal the biggest annoyances.
According to the research, the top five most annoying group chat habits are:
It seems there is a certain etiquette to keeping everybody happy in the group chat, with a third of people (33%) admitting they leave group chats because they find them annoying, whilst four in ten (40%) wish they could leave but would feel rude if they did.
Group chats aren’t all bad though, with 81% of people saying they help them maintain friendships and feel connected. Moreover, three-quarters (75%) say group chats offer social interaction, even if they’re not physically with people.
Commenting on the research, Karl Middleton, mobile expert at e2save, says: “There certainly is an etiquette to keeping all participants in a group chat happy. If you’re an avid user, I recommend considering some of the following tips to avoid being “that” person in a group chat (you know, the really annoying one).”
Karl’s tips include:
Remember, on some group chat apps e.g. WhatsApp/Messenger, you can actually see when someone has ‘read’ a message. Therefore, if you’re too busy to reply to a message, simply don’t view it until you have time to respond, or else risk being caught out for leaving someone on read.
A great way to let people know if you’re being serious or sarcastic is using emojis. Messages can easily get misinterpreted, especially when you can’t see the person’s facial expressions. Therefore, to avoid any confusion, use emojis where necessary to illustrate your point. A few laughing emojis can soften a comment that may otherwise be misinterpreted, while a sad emoji can show others if you’ve taken offence. Of course, emojis can also be misinterpreted, so if in doubt it may be best to leave the sarcasm aside.
Got a private joke going on in your group chat? Or, do you need to make plans with someone? Then it’s probably best to message them separately to discuss. No one wants to receive constant notifications from conversations happening on the group chat that don’t involve them, so take it elsewhere.
In light of the research, e2save has created five group chat personalities people relate to most. To find out which group chat personality you are, visit: https://www.e2save.com/community/which-group-chat-personality-are-you/