The message we all want to send to family WhatsApp groups. Read it here

“There’s an incredible amount of unverified news, casual sexism, and unwarranted xenophobia that gets shared here that I’m frankly quite uncomfortable with”.

These were the last words of Twitter user @The_HappyNoodle to her relatives as she bade farewell to the extended-family WhatsApp group she was a member of.

The “Oxford comma enthusiast” took to Twitter to describe the step as a “personal victory” and “cannot fully express the relief I feel”.

In today's personal victory, I quit my extended-family WhatsApp group. I cannot fully express the relief I feel. pic.twitter.com/E02iXtbLvh

— Namaah (@The_HappyNoodle) October 11, 2017

“I really think there needs to be a line in the sand with respect to inappropriate content because the things we condone in the way of humour become the things we become desensitised to,” she says in her message.

The tweet that has been liked over 2000 times resonated with people across social media platforms, including Reddit, with people commending her courage to call out her family members.

“Whatsapp has become a cringey fest of centipede spam forwarders. It’s rare to find groups where people actually do have a decent conversation without cringy smileys and insider jokes (sic),” says Reddit user Randiana.

Some raised doubts if her family members would be able to discern the message or “even bother reading past the first sentence?”

Others shared their own experiences of encounters with relatives on social media.

“I instantly leave from various family groups that keep adding me. My dad’s fb request is pending for years (sic),” commented a user under the name BodybuilderPilot2.

While most thought that it was “the best decision ever”, some were curious to know about her family’s reaction after she quit the WhatsApp group. A few others sought her permission to use the message as their own exit plan.

Here are the best reactions on Twitter:

I did this too, a few months ago. Best decision ever. No more waking up to pathetic wife jokes or community jokes. Good for ya!

— Purva Sawant (@purvasawant) October 11, 2017

marking this for future use (I may have to use this at least 5 times)

— Bee (@BurgerrB) October 12, 2017

YAS. ??????????Did the same to a lot of groups myself (for reasons these and others) and my whatsapp is a lot less stressful now.

— Mahwash Ajaz (@mahwashajaz_) October 12, 2017

Thank you for the courage.
Permission to use this as a template for my own exit (if I ever manage it?)

— Aakriti Anand (@itirkaa1105) October 11, 2017

Please send as text version so can copy paste in many groups.

— Arjun Kanungo (@arjun_kanungo) October 11, 2017

Good luck with this not being seen as rude. I am still vilified by my extended family for declaring myself an atheist ??

— Prashant (@pcytotoxic) October 11, 2017

If I write so much before I exit.. they will add me back & ask the meaning :/

— Saaj (@SaajJain) October 11, 2017

Now I’m intrigued to know what transpired after your exist? Akward silence? Or was there any gossip ??

— Ammar Zafarullah (@AmmarZaf) October 12, 2017

I quit. They annoying admin (cousin) added me again. I quit again. He added me again. I quit and blocked him and all other admins. I fear attending weddings now.

— KayKay (@blanketchor) October 12, 2017

But not everyone saw this as a step towards a less ‘stressful’ life.

WA groups have brought ppl closer, even with the unverified forwards etc. We atleast know that X,Y,Z exist and are there.

— Kamal (@kamalrathi) October 12, 2017

If I were the admin, I would have kicked u out. Who the hell brings this ideology shit in casual family jokes? Freak ???????

— Aditya Tiwari (@aditiwari007) October 11, 2017

First Published: Oct 13, 2017 11:23 IST