To not like voice notes

[WellThatsMeScrewed]

On WhatsApp my friend sends voice notes that are minutes long, multiple ones. They drive me mad, I can quickly read a message but I don’t want to have to stop what I’m doing, concentrate on a voice note. Type the bloody message out!!! I realise I’m probably showing my age.

I dont listen to them lol

ha ha I like them, love to hear my friends' voices but you're not alone.
Waterford whisperers had an article recently ''local woman's heart sinks when friend leaves a nine minute voice note''. Then it turned out to be a nine minute (follow up discussion) on whether or not to get a fringe. I was laughing so much.

BUT I like them, my friends in Spain and Boston send me voice notes and I love their voices!

I hate them. I only have 1 friend who has occasionally does it thankfully

Yes, you're showing your age...as am I. I hate them too. Still prefer them to a phone call though!

you're not alone OP

That’s made me laugh so much, 9 minute one sided discussion on a fringe, brilliant!!

I’m too old for people to send me them often but they kind of freak me out - although now you’ve mentioned hearing friends’ voices that’s really nice actually.

Got my first one there recently. a 5 min one from a school mum that I don't know that well, she was just wittering away...
I always hated voicemails, and I think I feel the same about voice notes.
Text me or ring me. I can't be listening to your soliloquy.

There should at least be a time limit on them, like 30s is enough...

I have a relative abroad they send them occasionally through WhatsApp its nice to hear her voice , everyone else just stopit or here is a random idea phone me.

I don't even 'see' them as messages. So I don't listen to them.
Mostly it's DC's (8) buddy saying talking gibberish from her mum's phone. So I ignore.
All I can think of when I see the little play button and the line of despair is Father Purcell from Father Ted talking about boilers!

I have a relative who uses them constantly. I’ve asked her not to but apparently she is too busy to type out her message but obviously my time is less valuable having to listen to the bloody things. I’ve stopped listening or replying to them.

I hate them too, it’s like listening to a really shit podcast. Luckily not many people I know do voice notes, maybe for a quick story or something.

I've only ever recieved them from a dying friend, and needless to say they are much loved and something I go back to listen to from time to time. And similar to my long lost frined, I would think it's an acceptable mode of messaging from someone for whom this mode of message made sense. I would NOT feel the same way about someone well and able to either speak with me or send a brief text. If it's more than the briefest of message, then it's no longer "messageable". My partner gets them from a friend of his who's very self centred, and I do find myself wondering if this isn't just a stage for someone prone to a monologue.

I can't stand them. I find them to be almost intrusive. A text I can quickly read whilst I'm doing something else but a voice note means stopping what I'm doing, excusing myself whilst in company to listen. In addition they seem to be longer and much less succinct than a simple text.

Oh @dudsville that is lovely that you can listen to your friend.

I used to get them when DH was working abroad and I was alone with the babies, but we used Wechat which limits them to 1 minute. It was nice for the babies to hear his voice when he was hundreds or thousands of miles away and we were in different timezones so video chats were hard to arrange. I don't like Whatsapp in general but I wouldn't say I hate receiving messages just Whatsapp ones.

My most treasured one was when he read their bedtime story for us to listen to at the right time and it just felt like he was less far away.

I love them! My friends and I send VMs to each other every day. It's much preferable to talking on the phone (which I hate). 😊

I never send them and rarely get them. I have one friend who will occasionally do it but she has such a brilliant sense of humour that quite often even a short voice note can have me cackling for the rest of the day. If it was long, boring or repetitive I would be annoyed.

I have mixed feelings but they can be really good if used well.

A phone call can easily get sidetracked. This has the focus of texts (I say a thing, you respond, etc), but removes some of the ambiguity of tone.

It's so easy to misinterpret intent, so can be good to hear a friendly voice.

One of my friends is severely dyslexic and sends short voice notes a lot. Text based communication can be excluding for many, and in a world of text messages and social media, as well so many younger people terrified of talking on their phones (while glued to them), voice notes can be a social lifeline.

And they are easy to ignore ...

@moofolk - my stepdad is severely dyslexic and struggles with texting. He uses the speech to text function on his iPhone. It’s really good, I had no idea he was using it until my brother told me, I thought my mum was writing his texts to me as they have perfect punctuation etc. Just in case that helps your friend at all.

I have a group of old close friends and they all leave very long (up to 10 mins long) voice messages.... Chit chatting about anything and everything...
I listen to them when driving, theyre great it's a bit like having a coffee with someone . It's a treat to know you've a couple to listen to on the way into work.
However of the 6 on our WhatsApp group I am the only one who doesn't leave them. I find it nearly impossible to talk unselfconciously into a phone!! I freeze and keep re recording.
I just leave long texts as a result so use dictation.

Yes!!!!

The problem is in a group chat of 10 friends it’s impossible to keep up with the thread. With text you can go over what’s been said, check back.

Yes I appreciate that for those who struggle to write its useful.

Still drives me nuts though