E-Paper
Random Forays: WhatsApp Users and their Many Avatars
Given the fact that WhatsApp is such a notable part of our lives, it demands this writer’s attention
Over the past decade and more, WhatsApp has conquered most modes of communication. The simple act of calling up friends or family members on their special days has been replaced by a quick text or at best an animated GIF.
Given the fact that WhatsApp is such a notable part of our lives, it demands this writer’s attention. Everyone who uses WhatsApp will probably fall in one or the other categories delineated below, but there may be notable exceptions.
Always on:
These are the ones who live in, on and through WhatsApp. They hardly have an existence external to its portals. And they are the ones who created the social media joke about needing another lifetime after they ascend heavenward, because WhatsApp consumed this one!
Cameo specialists:
These are the “blink and you miss them” sorts. They show up only rarely and make their mark with some cheerful Happy Birthday wishes on groups as well as some weather beaten forwards (which the group had already savoured while they were missing in action!)
The provocateurs:
These worthies are out to create mischief by sharing the worst sorts of inflammable forwards. They are also prone to typing irresponsible and irrational comments which generally serve as harmony-disrupters. Unfortunately, they have some gullible followers who follow their lead unwittingly.
The bombarders:
These trigger-happy users of WhatsApp usually flood all groups with dozens of videos and news items without caring for the peace of mind of others. Some of them are also prone to posting a plethora of personal pics, which people view with mixed feelings!
Absentee landlords:
These missing persons are those who are certainly WhatsApp subscribers but they don’t use the facility at all. They even make sure that their WhatsApp status boldly declares the following: “Off WhatsApp!” But they are known to show up once in a blue moon in order to catch up with old friends.
Day scholars:
Some prefer to spend their office hours on WhatsApp perhaps primarily for work. They are most accessible to friends, too, during this period. But they go silent after six o’clock and emerge from their intermittent WhatsApp fasting only after 9 am, the next morning.
Nightowls:
These ones wake up from their WhatsApp slumber post dinner and are very prolific late into the night. They are also the ones whose last seen status indicates that they finally fell asleep at 4 am!
Straightforward type:
I have a friend who says he does not hesitate even for a split second before forwarding anything and everything that he receives (except personal messages from his spouse). He and his ilk are the ones responsible for flooding of inboxes and are close allies of the aforementioned Bombarders!
Joke specialists:
These are the cheerful ones, who only share good tidings and humorous stuff. They elicit guffaws (through ubiquitous emojis) from all and sundry. They react coyly to the enthusiastic responses (especially since they can claim no credit for formulating those jokes!)
Group calmers:
Some admins spend a lot of time pacifying group members who are perennial squabblers. They provide the calming influence and are the saner voices (or texters) around. They ensure that members do not break group rules by indulging in mudslinging, especially of the political sort!
Holy angels:
A few WhatsApp users are mainly into spiritual posts and they are usually affiliated to one or the other mode of belief. They do not hesitate before posting messages of their own belief system. They are usually harmless since they keep reminding the populace of the presence of the Almighty, but some of them could be agenda-driven as well.
Grammar Nazi:
These are usually English diehards and they take it upon themselves to pounce on the slightest error from others. Nothing remotely out of place eludes their hawk-like eyes. By the time the other person edits his or her erroneous post, the Grammar Nazi has already pointed out the faux pas, pointedly!
No further explanation needs to be proffered to enlightened WhatsApp users by this columnist. In fact, I am planning to enrol for a “WhatsApp Intricacies Course” in the not-too-distant future!
