Whatsapp | Imamother

amother

Hotpink

Wed, Dec 23 2015, 1:54 pm

Some ideas:
- There are whatsapp groups that are just a bunched of people sharing jokes can be inappropriate.
- Have cheaper plans that don't allow pictures through texting. My mother and sister-in-law have this. They pay rock bottom prices for their plan but can't get pictures through texting. They can get pictures when on WIFI. So blocking whatsapp would block picture and video texting.

Its much easier to have groups on whatsapp then texting. We have a sibling group, cousing group, friend group. Group text messaging doesn't always work depending on people's plans, or different countries.
I think the groups is what people are trying to avoid.

harriet

Wed, Dec 23 2015, 2:04 pm

amother wrote:

Why are people trying to avoid groups?

harriet

Wed, Dec 23 2015, 2:07 pm

yogabird wrote:

I think if I'd be able to figure out why people like it better than texting I'd have the answer to your question.

You can tell if someone read your text or not.
You can voice text even if you don't have an iphone.
It's fun to see people's profile pictures.
It's easier to keep track of a group.
If your phone plan has a limited number of texts, whatsapps don't count towards them.
You can use it to make phone calls (came really in handy when I was abroad).

There are probably more reasons but those are just the ones off the top of my head.

amother

Silver

Wed, Dec 23 2015, 2:39 pm

amother wrote:

Lately I have been hearing in the more yeshivish circles "I don't do whatsapp." This is from people that have smartphones. I look at whatsapp as same think as texting. Just curious what do people have against it....

I would think that the thing people have against it is most likely the constant sharing of pictures and videos that can many times be inappropriate. Through regular texting people don't share random pictures and video clips.

Ema of 5

Wed, Dec 23 2015, 3:00 pm

harriet wrote:

Why are people trying to avoid groups?

Groups of random people I can understand, but if you personally know everyone in the group what's the issue? I am in one group where I don't know everyone, but it is not a tally group, it is to listen to a shiur. My other groups are all with different friends.

amother

Aquamarine

Wed, Dec 23 2015, 3:05 pm

eema of 3 wrote:

I know someone that was very unhappy that her husband's family's Whatsapp, had a pic of her DH's brother's wife , showing off her gown for the family for their siblings wedding (before the wedding asking for opinions) she was upset that her DH was getting pics of someone else's wife to his phone, even though it was "family" she didnt find it tzniusdig.

Same here, my DH has a family Whatsapp group...has a brother OTD and posted a pic of him and his GF kissing and barely dressed...why should my DH be viewing that woman in a bikini?

amother

Lawngreen

Wed, Dec 23 2015, 3:54 pm

Whatsapp groups tend to be dragged down by the person in the group with the lowest standard.

It promotes many of the same negative results as the rest of social media: exhibitionism, oversharing, casual contact with people you may have stayed on a more formal relationship level without such easy access, etc. So if someone avoids social media, whatsapp ought to be on the blacklist.

I have sworn it off because the OTD brother in my husband's case was sharing [filth]. And pics of his girlfriend. As many times as DH would leave the group, they would add him right back.

His brother wouldn't text or email those pictures and clips to DH but he does on whatsapp.

I'm just too grossed out to be interested in it.

allthingsblue

Wed, Dec 23 2015, 3:57 pm

I don't know what the problem is. if you have fine, upstanding friends and family with good values and any semblance of maturity, you should be fine.
I have never received an inappropriate whatsapp message but that's because I am only part of appropriate groups.
Simple solution is to stay away from unsavory characters. (Sending inappropriate jokes is so high school, in my opinion. I can't imagine any adult I know doing that.)

amother

Aquamarine

Wed, Dec 23 2015, 4:02 pm

allthingsblue wrote:

In regard to family, not everyone has the "perfectly" good values...and they are your family...so if you allow a family group that's the result.

allthingsblue

Wed, Dec 23 2015, 4:04 pm

amother wrote:

In regard to family, not everyone has the "perfectly" good values...and they are your family...so if you allow a family group that's the result.

Very good point. Didn't think of that since luckily I don't have that problem. and when it comes to family, you can't exactly leave the group- that could be offensive to family members. Wow, I hear how this can be a big problem for some...

amother

Lawngreen

Wed, Dec 23 2015, 4:19 pm

amother wrote:

I have whatsapp just to have a family group. It's nice but otherwise for me whatsapp is kind of pointless and annoying. Someone added me to a group and my phone sings every time eanyone makes any silly comment.

What about accidentally being added where you don't want to be? It happened several times on a family group on a different app. The accidental guests were able to read all old texts even after they'd been kicked off. Family exchanges...

youngishbear

Wed, Dec 23 2015, 4:21 pm

It's basically like saying I don't do facebook. It's not simply texting. It's more of a social networking app.

Like all tools, it can be beneficial or it can be misused.

Last edited by youngishbear on Wed, Dec 23 2015, 4:24 pm; edited 1 time in total

lizard8

Wed, Dec 23 2015, 4:23 pm

amother wrote:

A lot of people solve this problem by having a separate girls group, in addition to the family group. They can discuss clothing, sheitels, cooking and all the topics not appropriate/relevant for the men siblings and siblings in law.

Tablepoetry

Wed, Dec 23 2015, 4:31 pm

Whatsapp has become a crucial part of my work life. Colleagues send messages mainly through whatsapp; that way they can see if you saw it, or send you scanned images, etc. Plus I have several different work groups.
I also belong to whatsapp groups with the parents in my younger kids' classes (the older ones have their own whatsapp). If I didn't have whatsapp, I would be totally out of the picture there. Things like birthday invites are sent to the class over whatsapp, or what to learn for the test, or links to sign up for parent-teacher meetings.

You can't compare whatsapp to regular texting. First, you can send pics/videos. I know some phones let you send pics with regular messages, but you need to download each one individually. It's not like whatsapp where you can scan the whole page and see them all at a glance.
Plus the format is so much more friendly than SMS, it's infinitely easier to keep track of conversations.

I don't get anything inappropriate over whatsapp, and I belong to many groups - work/ kids' schools/family. I think maybe I hang out in the wrong circles??

The only thing that bothers me is that whatsapp is TOO convenient. I feel like I am constantly on call. Lots of work conversations take place at night, etc. Sometimes I long for the olden days, where once you left the office, that was it, no one could get hold of you.

Tablepoetry

Wed, Dec 23 2015, 4:36 pm

lizard8 wrote:

Hmmm. I definitely don't belong to any all girls' groups (well, I guess you could count my gym group, which is all girls, but that's a group dedicated only to announcements/changes in schedule). And now that I think of it, the parent groups in my kids' classes are mainly moms...

Personally, I wouldn't be interested in a group that talked mainly clothing, sheitels and cooking, but I'm wondering why that last one wouldn't be appropriate or relevant for the men folk? Might inspire them to get creative in the kitchen.

Wed, Dec 23 2015, 7:15 pm

amother wrote:

You can change your group setting so it doesn't ring from comments. My whatsapp is set to ding by individual messages and silent by group messages.

I find whatsapp the best invention for me living so far from family! My kids know their cousins they never met IRL just from whatsapp.

We also have a sisters/ sister in law group for girly stuff and regular family group for general. Sisters group is way more interesting!