According to research from online smartphone retailer, e2save, 93% of smartphone owners are in at least one group chat (WhatsApp being the most popular platform, followed by Facebook Messenger) and while they can be a great way to keep in touch with friends and family, poor ‘textiquette’ is driving the nation barmy.
Half of those polled (50%) said having a private conversation in a group chat is seriously annoying, and a similar number (49%) find new chat groups for EVERYTHING a total no-go.
Slow responders – who take more than 48 hours to reply to a thread – also proved unpopular (46%) alongside late night chatters (24%) A third (33%) admitted they leave group chats because they find them too annoying and over a quarter of people (27%) say they always use WhatApps’ handy ‘mute’ option to keep notifications (and frustration) at bay.
They aren’t all bad though, as 81% say they help them maintain friendships and feel connected and three quarters (75%) saying they offer social interaction.
Joe Linnington, mobile expert at e2save, said: “There certainly is an etiquette to keeping all participants in a group chat happy.
“My top five tips would be:
- Keep private chatter private
- Don’t start a new group chat unless essential
- Try to reply to messages within 48 hours
- Add emojis to explain if you’re being serious, sarcastic etc
- Don’t chat after 12 am!
“It is really nice to see such a large proportion of people using them to help maintain relationships and stay in touch though, as it can be so difficult to find the time. The features of smartphones today make it easier than ever to stay connected.”
