Being part of a group chat can feel special. It’s a space where you can converse about specific topics of interest with people who are interested in what you’re saying. With that being said, there are some things that you should try and do, and others that you should really avoid if you want your group chat to be at its best.
First thing’s first…
Don’t be a Lurker
We all know this person. The person that reads all the messages but never, or rarely, says a word. Do not be this person. The truth is, you’re in this chat for a reason, the members want you to contribute and they want to know what you think; they didn’t invite you to just read what they’re saying. Sometimes not replying can also be seen as rude and a sign of disinterest.
Granted, there are times when you fall behind. The group continues the chat without you. Don’t just forget it and move on, go back and see what’s been said. Messenger will allows you to rewind back to the last message you saw, to then scroll down and catch up. You can also outline which message you’re replying to so that members in the chat aren’t lost.
Messenger can be opened on your desktop so you can follow the conversation and type a response without having to check your phone.
Avoid awkward situations
Sending the wrong message to the wrong person is the worst. It doesn’t matter who it is and what the message contains; it’s just frustrating. Queue the “Oh sorry, wrong person” followed by a *nervously laughing emoji*. No one wants to receive a grocery list or dinner reservations that weren’t meant for you. Unfortunately sometimes it just happens, and the slightest slip of a finger can send a half written message.
In Messenger you can quickly rectify your mistake by tapping and holding your message and deleting it. Could save you the embarrassment.
In this case customising your chats isn’t such a bad idea. You can change the colour for each person so that you can easily differentiate the personal and the professional.
Know when to switch off from work
Sometimes, it’s true, we want nothing to do with our phones. We don’t want to answer any messages, and that’s fine; we all need a break sometimes.
Messenger’s recent survey revealed 42% of Australians surveyed “sign-off” when ending a message conversation.
But you don’t need to sign off, instead, you can just mute the chat from receiving notifications. You won’t receive anything on your lock screen, so the temptation to reply isn’t there; and you will avoid any unnecessary distractions. Muting a chat can also be good to just relax from “work talk”. You know what I mean. When you’ve been talking about work all day, the last thing you want to do when you get home is talk about work. If you’re like me, even the sound of an email or a notification from work just sends shivers down my spine.
Consolidate your message and use direct replies
Have you ever gotten into an argument with someone over text, and instead of having a large chunk of arguing compiled into one message sent to you, you’ve been sent 30 separate angry messages. It’s stressful, and maybe during an argument that’s a more acceptable form of messaging. But when you aren’t arguing, avoid the spamming of individual messages. Write one larger, more thought out message. The sender will appreciate it and it’ll be less messy to read.
I’m talking to YOU
If you’re on the other end of a lurker, and you’re trying to get their attention, but they just won’t answer, just tag them in the chat to single them out. They’ll have no choice but to reply *laughs evilly behind phone screen*.
