Holiday photo sharing on WhatsApp group

[Allshallbewell2021]

I'm sure I am being a bit unreasonable but I find my SIL's sharing of their very glam holiday photos a bit depressing. I mean one photo is ok but we have had a photo every day now.

It seems a bit insensitive to the group IMO. But I don't want to go into why it's insensitive, they always do it. I don't mind it on their social media pages because no one has to look at those. But this is a key contact group and it just gets used as a brag page by them.

Feel better for getting that off my chest.

Well, depends what the What’s App group was set up for. Our family group is for general chat, jokes and updates including info about local traffic jams, funny memes, videos of kids/pets doing something daft. If someone is on holiday or out for dinner they will generally post photos of location or meals etc. It’s no big deal and is not intended to make anyone feel jealous or inadequate in any way.

I can’t really think of any kind of family chat with a photo upload facility where members would not upload some of their holiday pics. What makes this insensitive?

One photo a day I could live with, you could always mute the group?

I imagine the back story is relevant. In our family chat we all send any amount of random stuff including holiday pix, recipes, kids doing stuff, work. If you’re not interested you scroll on, or you engage, no one’s precious. There’s a lot of us over a couple of continents so it’s busy.

can you not just mute it?

I couldn't get worked up about this without their being more of a reason. My aunty goes on better holidays than me all the time but I still like seeing the photos. It's nice to see she has a good time.

I have this issue with in laws posting several pictures daily when on holiday (approx 6 per year...) I just mute it, ignore and check once every few days to say 'looks fab, enjoy!' I find it tedious. I don't care what flavour jam they had on their toast 😬

Tell him

Me and the family steer clear of stuff like this and glad .

Mute it, but best to tell him but best just mute it IMO

I’m guessing that there are members of the group struggling financially and so it does seem insensitive if people are showing off about expensive holidays. I suppose even before WhatsApp and social media you’d get show offs in a social setting a few times a year, but it must be annoying to have them in your phone every day.

Groups are so hard to know what's appropriate. I've had family members away together not post on our group to Dave my feelings, which made me feel left out. But in the same breath I understand how someone else might see it as rubbing your face in. We now do a tongue in cheek thing where when people go away I say send me EVERYTHING I want to feel like I'm there. And other people say not for me I'm muting you until you come home. And we all know where we stand.

I like seeing where my siblings are and what they are doing on holiday

Tell yourself that comparison is the thief of joy and let it go over your head. If it's stirring up negative feelings, don't look.

Yep. You don't have to note every photo.

"All looks lovely, have a ball."

Then ignore.

I don't think one photo a day is particularly OTT, especially if it's her family.
Indulge in some self care yourself. I like taking a run or going out on my bike with a picnic when I'm beset by irritation and sadness.
You do your thing and don't let this bother you. x

I mute and archive all WhatsApp groups and scroll through when I have time

If a message is meant directly for me they will get in touch

Wouldn't bother me but I love seeing holiday photos- even of people I don't know! (Although there are limits if it's constant- and I don't tend to send people my holiday photos unless they ask!) I can tell it's getting to you, so as others have said, mute the group. Check in after a few days with a, "all looks fabulous,hope you're having a ball," and delete the pictures and put it out of your head!

Honestly just don't look. I know that sounds a bit basic, but I've disengaged with some WhatsApp groups (and deleted instagram, but that's another thread!) because of this sort of thing. I've taken WhatsApp off my Home Screen and now just engage on essential messages twice a day- morning and evening. It's quite refreshing. I hear ya.

I don't know; maybe they thought their family of all people would be interested in what is going on in their life and would be happy for them rather than jealous.

I agree with everyone really, I am usually bigger hearted and just avoid.

I just find them relentlessly braggy anyway online and in person it's always their status markers being waved around and celebrated. I don't think they know how it can make other people feel and when your kids feel it too - that's always a bit irritating.

Is my family the only family in the world that doesn't have a family WhatsApp group?
i read and hear of these groups all the time seems like its only my family that doesn't do this but tbh i dont have a very close family. tbh though I also wouldn't like constant fancy braggy holiday pics when I'm feeling a bit rubbish even if it was family so would probably just mute anyway.

I generally find with things like this that they only irritate me if the person posting irritates me.

But if there were people struggling with fertility they would be expected to just suck it up if people were posting photos of their children all the time. I don’t see why the same shouldn’t apply to holidays.

I like seeing holiday photos but I go on nice ones myself so that could be a key difference

We post holiday photos in our family WhatsApp. I like seeing them and we chat about what it is like at the place etc. We all have different preferences re holiday types. No one sees it as bragging.

Maybe it's more about OP's insecurity or jealousy? Or if not, why not just ignore them. You're not obliged to look, read and comment.

I thought this as well....hear so much about them on MN !! I might set up a wee group to organise a specific thing then it's finished !

It irritates the fuck out of me when my MIL does it. But that’s because she has no ability to read the room. You could be going through the worst time ever and she would still be there posting pictures of her breakfast.