WhatsApp groups - wondering if it because I'm autistic that I find them so difficult?

[Mil3nnial]

I'm in a few WhatsApp groups as I have young children so I have a school official one, an individual school mum one and also some smaller ones like NCT friends and another mum friends one.

I find them so difficult to navigate! I am fine with friends but in larger groups where there are people I don't know as well I find I'm either worried about saying the wrong thing, saying too little and seeming unsupportive, saying too much and over sharing, sharing and getting no response leading to
me feeling like no one likes me.

I am autistic and find social situations difficult and wondering if this is why I can't navigate WhatsApp groups or is it because they do all dislike me or do I say the wrong thing or are WhatsApp groups just hell?

Whatsapps groups can be hell so you're not wrong. Also, you are not obliged to comment on any of them. Try reducing your comments or only reply to polls or questions specifically to you or only checking messages once a day e.g. around pickup time and see if that helps your anxiety levels.

Try not to take any lack of response personally, people generally can be busy so it's very easy to forget you haven't responded to the latest post especially when there are several conversations and several groups to keep track of too.

You’re giving them way too much headspace. If you want to continue to be in these groups because you get something out of them, just mute them and look at them once a day or less, to see if anything of interest has come up.