My mobile is on the table next to me. Brrrr… brrrr. brrrr. A buzzing sound comes to my attention. I have turned off all the little beeps, bells and other sounds a phone can produce. It drives me mad. After a few seconds again there is the brrr.. brrr… brrr… I check and yep there it’s … I have once again entered the world of a group app.
Reading manuals is not my thing. I only want to learn things about my phone as I get to the point that I want to ‘get rid’ of a function. So I pick up my phone and start looking for buttons, icons, go through options and while I’m doing that… brrr…brrr.brrrr. The edge of the zone where I get irritated has been touched. I grumble and continue my search.
Aha.. ‘leave group”. There is light at the end of the tunnel! Hallelujah. I press for the option while sighing with satisfaction. Ah.. peace and quiet! I put down the phone and start doing what I was doing until.. Brrr.. brrr..brrrr. I see the message. “Did you accidentally push the wrong button?'”You left the group!’ Filled with disbelieve I look at the message. The wrong button?? That was my life saving button! My emergency exit!
I decide to send the person a personal app to tell her that I did not, absolutely not, seriously, and I repeat NOT push the wrong button. My message was read with surprise. “But uhm… you can turn of the sound..” Yes, I did turn of the sound and than the phone started doing brrrr..brrr… “Oh but than you have to click …. ” There a dozen apps explaining me how to do things.
I decide to have the courage to say “I’m not a group app person” That was the wrong thing to say.. “Yeah well.. than you miss all the announcements and we would have to app you separately to keep you up to date”. I know, I know.. I am a pigheaded girl. I’m not a follower. I stand out in the crowd. And you know what.. I’m happy being me. I don’t want a group app. What part of that is so hard to understand?
With a list of friends on whatsapp that is becoming smaller, I suddenly notice that more people followed my example. They left the group app. Someone told me that hardly anyone is talking on it after I left. “Well, that’s interesting” is my only comment.
It even gets more complicated if people from other continents start adding you to a group conversation.. Before you know it you are part of it and you’ve got an extra task reading all the messages that were posted while you were sleeping.
It’s the new way to communicate. Got something to share.. send an app. Phoning or writing letters.. that’s so last century! Fine by me. I can see the advantages (and the disadvantages too).
But please… do me a favour, let me be Zen. Please don’t add me. People usually don’t even ask if you want to be added. It’s probably out of enthusiasm. Come on.. join the club!
Dear people who make group apps… I’m much more fun as an individual. Being part of a group app brings out the worst in me.
