I know that WhatsApp is a great platform for communication, especially if you want to have a conversation with many people at the same time. Its perks can’t be overlooked.  

However, I am agitated by WhatsApp groups. Aside from being added to a group without consent, there is a lot more that bothers me. For example, about 50 members, say an alumni group, reminiscing about the good old days, catching up, but before long, members start to leave the group. It happens, but have you ever wondered why?  

Sometimes, a group loses the purpose for which it was formed, so why would I stay? Any group that is busy 24/7 irritates me. The trouble of scrolling through 2,000 messages after a long day to catch up is not really worth it. If what is being discussed is sensible, that’s okay. But most times, a lot of irrelevant chit chat is going on, and I know there is the ‘mute’ option, but I think a group should have some free time for members to ‘breathe’. 

Then there are the forwarded messages and videos that take most of my data. Some people don’t know what is appropriate to send in a group and what’s not. 

How about two people having a conversation as though they are not in the group. To make matters worse, discussing a topic or incident that no one else knows about. The whole group is ‘quiet’, but they continue with their conversation. You wonder why they can’t privately message each other. I find it very disrespectful. 

As for the non-active members, why are you in a group when you never comment, respond or say anything? I believe most people are busy just like you. If you decide to stay in the group, for whatever reason, then say something or leave, period. Such people kill the vibe of the group. 

Some people think others are okay with profanity, but they’re wrong. They also send inappropriate pictures and videos often and expect others to respond in a positive way. Some people’s apps are set in such a way that they automatically download videos. I pity parents who give their phones to their children to play with, what if they end up in the gallery and find such nasty content? 

I don’t know if it’s the case with other people, but group members who prefer to communicate with voice notes annoy me. I can’t be bothered to listen to voice notes, call it laziness if you want. 

I am also irritated by the monotonous "good morning” and "goodnight” messages that end there. If there is nothing to talk about, silence is okay once in a while. 

Then there are the people who use the most complicated words out there, you need a dictionary to keep up. Don’t even get me started with the ones that use abbreviations that no one else seems to understand, like FLOABW (for lack of a better word), and then the ‘short-hand’ writers (a u 4 ril – to mean, are you for real). 

I believe WhatsApp groups can be fun if some issues are polished. Every group admin should make clear why the group was formed, messages ought to be relevant to the group’s purpose. Jokes must be tasteful and bullying of any kind handled with zero tolerance. The best time to engage people is in the evening when they are done with work as earlier on may be distracting.