Lifestyle

These are our biggest WhatsApp annoyances

By Sophie Rietmulder | #!31Fri, 19 May 2023 13:00:57 +0200+02:005731#31Fri, 19 May 2023 13:00:57 +0200+02:00-1Europe/Amsterdam3131Europe/Amsterdam202331 19pm31pm-31Fri, 19 May 2023 13:00:57 +0200+02:001Europe/Amsterdam3131Europe/Amsterdam2023312023Fri, 19 May 2023 13:00:57 +0200001005pmFriday=9#!31Fri, 19 May 2023 13:00:57 +0200+02:00Europe/Amsterdam5#05-19-2023#!31Fri, 19 May 2023 13:00:57 +0200+02:005731#/31Fri, 19 May 2023 13:00:57 +0200+02:00-1Europe/Amsterdam3131Europe/Amsterdam202331#!31Fri, 19 May 2023 13:00:57 +0200+02:00Europe/Amsterdam5#

Did you know that WhatsApp is considered completely uncool to use by the younger generation? This was new information for me, but as a proud millennial, I decided not to care about it at all. I think the rule is: if you are old enough to have consciously experienced the first time low-rise jeans were in fashion, you can use WhatsApp without shame as far as I'm concerned. Still, I always find myself torn between love and irritation when it comes to this app. Because while it is my most used communication tool (I really think I message more on a daily basis than I talk), we are not always best friends. I hope I'm not the only one who lets out a deep sigh every day at the next WhatsApp annoyances.

The rules regarding voice memos

We unanimously voted on this: a voice memo longer than two minutes is really forbidden. Seriously, if I want to listen to a podcast, I am perfectly capable of arranging that for myself, but all I want to know from you right now is whether or not you are coming to the Friday afternoon drinks, and you can answer that within ten seconds. Oh, and extra penalty points if your voice memo starts with a minute of: uhhh, yeah, well, I don't know, maybe. Stop.

Birthday group chats

Of course, I love to come to Aunt Suzan's birthday, that's not the problem. What I don't want to spend my precious time on is digging through the dozens of messages from people you don't really know about gifts, budgets, and speeches, to find out what time the whole party actually starts. Leaving the group is also a statement that will undoubtedly earn you some sideways glances, so these apps go straight into the archive, or rather: the WhatsApp prison.

Rocket messengers

Why send one long message when you can send 30? That's the motto of the rocket messengers among us, who fire their thoughts at you via WhatsApp faster than light so they can get it off their chest. There is nothing that drives me more over the irritation threshold than being busy with something else and receiving a message from such a person every millisecond. Sorry, but I'm currently checking how much tickets to Bali cost to build a new phone-free existence there. Leave me alone.

Video callers

No, I don't want to video call, I've never wanted to video call, and I will never want to video call. Yet I have a number of enthusiastic video callers in my circle who are bigger fans of this feature than Kanye West is of himself. And not that they sit down for it, no, they prefer to do it from the car, the line at the supermarket, or a taking-off airplane. I'm now going to ask the ultimate grandma question: what's wrong with just sending a message?