My husband hates group text, and I am beginning to agree with him. I am not talking about a quick text with a certain group or family, where a reply is wanted sooner, rather than later. I am talking about the group text with 10+ people about a news story or event, where I don’t know most of the people in the group, so all I see is their phone number.
Our gripe with group text is some tend to go on for hours and our phone is constantly buzzing. Or someone decides to reply at 2:00am and my phone is on. My husband is a physician, so his phone is on 24 hours a day; I also have mine on as my mother might needs something in the middle of the night. Yesterday my BIL started a group text while I was on my phone; there must have been 15 replies, so my phone would go off.
My feeling is, a news article could be discussed by email; it isn’t urgent, requiring an immediate reply. The same for the latest political joke. I have a cousin that will send out a group text of over 20 people at midnight where several people actually reply at that hour! My husband finally told this cousin to never include him on group text; one day when she sent a mass group text, he was in surgery and the nurse had to keep checking his phone to make sure he wasn’t needed elsewhere. I text just as must as the next person, but the only group text is between my immediate family, or a couple of friends. I don’t send out mass texts. I also blind copy when I send out a large email for the same reason; that way the reply comes back to me only. Emails are easier to ignore if you don’t want to be bothered with them!
Are we just old and cranky? When do you text vs. email?
I have a close friend group (8 of us) and we text all day. Somehow I managed to turn off notifications because there were times my phone would blow up. I’ve never had a group text with more than that.
I would definitely send the article etc via email. I never text unless it is a time I think polite to call. You can turn off notifications though, for group texts. You might have to do that if you can’t stop the offenders
Not old and cranky, I abhor group texts. I especially hate it when someone “likes” a text. My niece is famous for this. My sil sent out a group text to her entire phone contacts for her kids college acceptance. I got so many, “omg that’s great” “go blue”! It was the worst!
@snowball do you have an iPhone? On an iPhone you can have a favorites list, I’m not sure about others. Put your kids, your mom and anyone else that you want to get ahold of you. Then put your phone to “sleep”. My phone goes to silent from 9 pm to 6 am. My mil is famous for calling “just to talk” at 9:30. I’ll call her back in the morning. If it’s really important, she can call her son. Who I think she should call anyways, but I digress.
My husband (not a physician) but gets work calls in the middle of the night. He does not participate in group texts.
I believe you can only leave a group text on an iPhone, if everyone in the group also has an iPhone. If there is an Android in the group, it isn’t an option.
What @deb922 said, you can do DND (do not disturb) except for favorites. That does not help your husband as I’d imagine he cannot favorite all the off hospital lines that might call him, but could help you.
In that case, I would mute the conversation. I agree, sometimes group texts are super annoying. It’s not that you are cranky – others are sometimes just rude and intrusive.
My group texts are only family, close friends, event specific, or small team work-related. Anything else annoys me. Please no with the political jokes, randos.
I rarely email anyone I know anything - I almost always text a link. I just don’t use email for anything I can likely text.
We have an immediate family group text (6 of us ). Occasionally my sibs and niece will send out a family group text but it is usually for a bigger occurrence and only a few times a year.
I admit to liking/hearting/thumbs up texts often. We all use that in our family as well as lots of GIFS
I don’t hesitate to in the evening say something like “my last comment for tonight cause I’m going to bed” - and that usually quiets the thread!
I admit I do use the “like” function for some texts when it’s quicker and easier to respond to something that doesn’t require a typed out response. Sometimes, I just want to let the other person know I read their text, but I have my hands full with other things, so it’s a convenient, quick response.
I only have one group of friends that we have one going when trying to plan something. It’s fine, fun and can be quite funny , but then it takes a life of its own, but typically stops when one just doesn’t respond. I usually don’t mind it when it’s just me around.
I enjoy the friend group texts but hate the ones where you know some but not all the members. I leave the latter immediately. When my friend group texts start going off constantly and I’m busy, I just mute it until I have time to catch up.
I don’t even really like text from people unless I know them well. I prefer email because I could answer at my leisure. My friends know me well enough to not include me as part of a large group text. My group text is for 2-4 people (I have 3 other siblings and we don’t even include the spouse). On the iphone you could just turn off alert for that particular thread.
My kids only text me when they need immediate response from me, and sometimes it would be “can I call you after 5 today.”
I don’t belong to any club, but if I belonged to a tennis or golf club then I could see to have a chat group to schedule games, but it would have to be very targeted.
I don’t mind group texts- I love my friend groups and we chat all the time. Love my family ones , too- for the most part we avoid political stuff so that helps.
My husband uses 2 phones- personal/business- that helps with not being bothered with personal stuff.
During the pandemic I’ve loved my group convos more than ever.
I have two groups…one is my two kids. Used only when we need to tell them both something they need to hear quickly.
The second group is six neighbors, and we use it for one thing only…to schedule outdoor socially distance things in the middle of the street. Usually these are last minute so this works. Really no responses are needed…just letting people know that someone thinks a street happy hour is in order.
I think we are a chatty family. I’m sure we all have days when we annoy each other.
Some days our family of 6 (myself, H, three kids, one DIL) might not text at all - that’s probably a little rare. Yesterday we were talking about lots of things - I did a quick scan…about 100 entries ! (including texts, photos, videos, gifs…)
In addition we have some smaller threads for different family members - my 2 daughters and I have a thread. I have a real estate text thread with my son. H/me/D2 have a thread for things going on at home or store needs thread since she is at home for a couple months.
I largely don’t like talking on the phone so texting is preferable to me. My mom doesn’t text, so I do call her!
