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AIBU?

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Original poster

To Dislike Voice notes?

83 replies

theorangebox · 13/02/2024 10:07

Just that really, people who voice note instead of texting or phoning. Maybe it's just me but I find it quite overwhelming to stop and find time to listen and then remember what they have said so that I can reply. I tend to just avoid the message for ages as I know that it will require me to make mental notes. Am I the only one?

OP posts:
cerisepanther73 · 13/02/2024 12:26

I find them a bit of quirky novelty factor way of communication
I prefer texting or emails

than tel call out of the blue

tuscanvines · 13/02/2024 12:28

Overwhelming? A voice note? Fucking hell.

SingingSands · 13/02/2024 12:32

I have a friend who sends long rambling voice notes as she walks her dog early on a morning. I wait until I'm walking to the train station to listen to them - it's like a podcast.

PastTheGin · 13/02/2024 12:36

YANBU. If you want to speak, phone me. Otherwise send a bloody text, you can use speech to text if typing is too hard for you. I do not have the time or patience to listen to voicemails.

mamakoukla · 13/02/2024 12:44

I personally am not the greatest fan but it’s been a god send for people who struggle with reading and/or writing. Life changing for a dyslexic friend who really struggles with the day to day

boredybored · 13/02/2024 12:49

Just speed them up .. I like them and we send them all the time between my friends

Weightwatcher2 · 13/02/2024 12:54

Hate em.

People who send them to me clearly think their time is more valuable than mine, when I have to listen to them.

LynetteScavo · 13/02/2024 13:07

FrontalHeadache · 13/02/2024 10:42

The only people I know that use them are my teenage daughter and her friends. They send these irritating, long breathy semihysterical voice notes to each other. I certainly don’t have any adult friends to do this. Thank goodness.

This is exactly what my DD does!

None has ever sent me one, though. Because I'm old.

MillicentTrilbyHiggins · 13/02/2024 13:11

I think it depends why they are being sent.

I've got a friend who isn't confident with her written English but is comfortable speaking.

My niece (8) sends me voice notes telling me she loves me. They make my heart melt.

Otoh the woman on our community WhatsApp who sends long ones followed by slightly shorter ones, followed by a typed message moaning no one has replied because it's important can FOTTFSOFAWSGTFOSM. 99% of the time it isn't important. (One day it was "does anyone know when the takeaway opens?") And its inconvenient for most of us to listen.

XenoBitch · 13/02/2024 13:17

I hate them. To me, they are the voice equivalent of a wall of text that has no paragraphs or punctuation.

BeachBeerBbq · 13/02/2024 13:20

betterangels · 13/02/2024 12:17

I'm very happy my friends don't use them. I'd hate it. I feel it's like speaking to a an answerphone, which I never do. However, for some disabilities VNs are helpful.

Absolute. GM is losing sight fast and voice notes are great for her. Also people who find it hard to text physically

BeachBeerBbq · 13/02/2024 13:22

Surprised how many people are receive long VNs from people they don't like🙈

OrangeMarmaladeOnToast · 13/02/2024 13:24

I loathe them.

benid · 13/02/2024 13:28

I hate them! my family member uses them a lot - I find it so self-centred to think I want to stop and listen to a fucking 3 minute lecture rather than a) receive pertinent information by text of b) take part in an actual conversation that I can contribute to .. SO RUDE!!!

benid · 13/02/2024 13:29

MaggieFS · 13/02/2024 10:30

More convenient for the sender. Awful for the recipient.

Ok if it's urgent and the sender can't stop to type, but otherwise just lazy.

If they can't stop to type they could probably open the message app and then use microphone to dictate a text, if they are able to open it to send a voice note!!

benid · 13/02/2024 13:31

Thementalloadisreal · 13/02/2024 12:23

Hate them! It’s basically a voluntary voicemail. Voicemails suck. (By voicemail I mean answerphone!) Also, like a mini shitty podcast.

Edited

Ha ha brilliant! I shall always think of them as "a mini shitty podcast" from now on Grin

cariadlet · 13/02/2024 13:32

I only get short voice notes and only from a few people (mostly in group chats) but I still really dislike them.

My main bugbear is that if you want to check what someone has said or to reply to a particular message in a group chat, it's easy to find a written message but if there are a few voice notes, you have to listen to all of them to find the one that you're looking for.

I have one friend who only uses voice notes but as English is his 2nd or 3rd language, I understand why they're quicker and easier for him so I'm fine with that.

RedPony1 · 13/02/2024 13:35

We're all in our 20's and 30's and use them a lot! Just so much easier sometimes.

Weightwatcher2 · 13/02/2024 13:38

BeachBeerBbq · 13/02/2024 13:22

Surprised how many people are receive long VNs from people they don't like🙈

Not necessarily with WhatsApp groups becoming the norm in some workplaces.

MenorcaMarguerite · 13/02/2024 13:39

I hate them but do understand when it is, for example, a brand new mum who's trying to do things while holding the baby.

Homesweethome23 · 13/02/2024 13:41

I hate it when someone sends a voice note, glad to see I’m not alone.

I can easily WhatsApp while at work so getting a voice note means I have to leave it hours as can’t listen to them in an open plan office with everyone listening. Also when child is around I don’t listen to them either as not sure what someone is going to say and I may not want child hearing them.

Weightwatcher2 · 13/02/2024 13:41

benid · 13/02/2024 13:28

I hate them! my family member uses them a lot - I find it so self-centred to think I want to stop and listen to a fucking 3 minute lecture rather than a) receive pertinent information by text of b) take part in an actual conversation that I can contribute to .. SO RUDE!!!

I find them self-centred too. As I said above, people who tend to send them to me and my colleagues clearly think their time is more valuable than ours.

pastypirate · 13/02/2024 13:41

They are so regressive - ffs we got rid of voicemails mostly why go backwards?

AffIt · 13/02/2024 13:46

Bloody nuisance.

I have a mate who is, in all other respects, a great chap and has no disabilities or SEN, English is his first language etc, but he will insist on sending these bloody epic voice notes that are more like podcasts.

I've told him repeatedly that I don't listen to them, but he continues to send them. Maddening.

Paxopaxo · 13/02/2024 13:50

Hate them.

There are only 2 people in my life who send them to me:

  1. Thinks his time is much more important than mine
  1. Terminally disorganised and indecisive person, takes 5 minutes of waffle to get to the point. I suspect she's not sure what she actually wants to say at the beginning, and just gradually works it out in the course of the waffling.

I leave them for days or weeks before bothering to listen to them. If it was something important then they would phone or text.