Does anyone else hate family WhatsApp group chats?

[Anonymous]

2 grandparents - 3 children - 3 children's spouses - 6 grandchildren (too young to actually be part of the group)

I find it such an effort both to share photos of my kids and ooh-and-ahh over pictures of my nieces/nephews. My ILs are great and I love them all - but I like spending physical time with them, and I really don't need to know what they're doing all the time. I don't like online group interactions. Which is why I left social media!

I am noticeably absent in the chat. I do try and say something at least once a week - a heart or something for the latest baby photo. But it feels forced and insincere. And I worry sometimes that they think I'm being mean (e.g. I only 'heart' 1 in every 20 baby photo). Even though we get on wonderfully in real life.

Is there anyone else out there that feels the same way?

[Anonymous]

Funny! I was added to the in-laws’ whatsapp for the first time today, and decided that I’ll have nothing to do with it.

Text me, call me, email me, see me in person. Other forms of communication can disappear, as far as I’m concerned.

- a 35 year old

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Funny! I was added to the in-laws’ whatsapp for the first time today, and decided that I’ll have nothing to do with it.

Text me, call me, email me, see me in person. Other forms of communication can disappear, as far as I’m concerned.

- a 35 year old

Same here. I never check the app and shut off notifications. You can contact me several ways, I’m not adding another. I often remove myself from group texts, too. I just can’t deal with all that back and forth.

[Anonymous]

We love it.

Me, spouse and kid who is in another hemisphere right now.

But none of us are big texters, so it is actually not intrusive.

[Anonymous]

Another +1 for ignoring and turning off notifications for both my family’s chat and the ILs chat. Everyone actively participates in our family chat (nuclear-only) though.

We have an extended one on my side but we try not to use it much specifically because we don’t want to annoy people. Only large, ‘official’ blasts happen that way and usually whatever it is has already usually worked its way through the more intimate circles first.

[Anonymous]

I would like them more if I did not know there was an alternate whatsapp group gossiping about members of the main group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:2 grandparents - 3 children - 3 children's spouses - 6 grandchildren (too young to actually be part of the group)

I find it such an effort both to share photos of my kids and ooh-and-ahh over pictures of my nieces/nephews. My ILs are great and I love them all - but I like spending physical time with them, and I really don't need to know what they're doing all the time. I don't like online group interactions. Which is why I left social media!

I am noticeably absent in the chat. I do try and say something at least once a week - a heart or something for the latest baby photo. But it feels forced and insincere. And I worry sometimes that they think I'm being mean (e.g. I only 'heart' 1 in every 20 baby photo). Even though we get on wonderfully in real life.

Is there anyone else out there that feels the same way?

I don't even know what WhatsApp is.

[Anonymous]

YES!!! MIL spams us all the time with stupid forwards.

The only time it is useful is when we make plans...