You may have created one or have been unwittingly dragged into one by a friend. Group chats are nifty spaces carved online for people to interact.
But just because they're a source of on-demand connection, doesn’t mean it’s a free-for-all space where you can talk about yourself all the time and ping everyone in the middle of the night. There are still etiquette rules to follow so that you don’t get kicked out or ruin your relationships.
Here are some bad group chat habits you should stop right now.
1. Adding People Without Asking for Permission
For the love of everything that is still beautiful in this world, please, please ask permission from people first before you add them to a group chat. Or at the very least, inform them that you are going to throw them into a moshpit of online exchange between people they may or may not know.
How often have you found yourself in the middle of a group chat without knowing what the group’s about, who’s in there, what they’re all talking about, or how you got inside one in the first place? It is not a nice feeling. It’s very annoying so please stop doing it to other people.
2. Sending Spam
This one’s pretty obvious, but there’s still a need to add this because people are still doing it. Go figure.
The only spam that people want in the morning is the spam that you fry and serve with scrambled eggs. Every other kind of spam is annoying. It wastes people’s time and resources especially. Since spam messages are sent indiscriminately, they’re often not that relevant to those they’re sent to.
3. Spreading Fake News
There’s always that one person in every group chat that doesn't know how to avoid spreading fake news. It’s that person who seems to be spending so much time inside the wrong alleys of the internet picking up the shadiest news and sharing it without double-checking.
People are so tired of calling this person out that they have just learned to ignore their posts about unicorn burps curing cancer. Please don’t be this person.
4. Blowing up People’s Phones at Night
One of the cardinal sins of group chat messaging is blowing up people’s phones in the middle of the night. Not everyone wants to mute their notifications and they have their reasons. Maybe they’re waiting for an important message or they simply haven’t gotten around to muting this group chat yet.
Either way, please be mindful of people’s snooze time. Stop endlessly pinging them in the middle of the night just to tell them that you’ve found your missing earring. If it’s not broken, bleeding, or it’s not People’s Sexiest Person Alive on your doorstep then this conversation can wait until tomorrow.
5. Hogging the Spotlight
Give others the chance to talk. No one wants to hear you blabber about yourself the whole day. Save that for your Facebook timeline or Twitter feed. Group chats are meant to be an exchange between multiple people who share a passion or have things in common.
This also applies to people who like talking to one person in the chat only and often turn group chat conversations into a lengthy one-on-one convo. Some people might not be privy to what you two are talking about so its best to move that conversation to your DMs.
6. Using ALL CAPS
In general, typing in all caps is considered bad form when it comes to online communication. Many people interpret it as a written form of yelling. It can be difficult to read and can come across as aggressive.
Unless of course, you are typing “I’M SO HAPPY!” because you simply are and you want to emphasize that. But in general, all-caps messages are generally not well-received by readers.
It makes you look hostile or sound like an ad for a get-rich-quick scheme slash loose-200-pounds-in-2-days scam.
7. Starting Drama
If you think you may have been mistakenly added to a group you have no business being in, directly message the person who added you instead of starting unnecessary drama in the group chat. Then politely ask to be removed.
A quiet exit will create less drama. If you want to stay in the group but don’t want to be notified whenever people text bomb each other while arguing, you can mute the conversation instead of leaving. That way, you can just check in whenever you have the time and just backread.
8. Using Too Many Emojis
Instead of sending that endless string of heart, poop, starry eyes, dancing girl, birthday cake, flag of the USA, ramen, dog, and other emojis; why not just tell people about what happened using words?
Don’t make it look like a two-year-old hijacked your phone. If you are an adult in a group chat with other adults who can read, it’s best to tell them in words instead of forcing them to interpret your emojis.
9. Sending Phishing Links and Malicious Attachments
The most effective way to ruin a friendship is to send your friends a phishing link to a site that will harvest their credit card information or forward attachments that are filled to the brim with malware.
Always double-check the source of your links or attachments before you forward them, especially in group chats where many people can see them. The only thing worse than being the bearer of fake news is being the bearer of a computer or phone virus.
10. Demanding That People Reply Right Away
Most people are busy. They have a life outside the internet and their smartphones. They work, they need to pay bills, and they might not be able to respond as quickly to your polls about which hair color you should try out next week.
Stop bombarding them with additional questions to get their attention just because their last reply was a few seconds ago. They might be in the bathroom or putting out a fire in the kitchen.
Be patient. Otherwise, you're likely to alienate your fellow group chat members.
Make Group Chats a Welcoming Place to Be
The most important rule that applies to any type of group chat is to be kind. Don’t do to others what you don’t want them to do to you. Be polite and understanding.
Remember the rules of common decency, those that make you a kind person in real life. They will make you a good person to interact with online too.