To hate WhatsApp voice notes?

[MattCauthon]

I don't mind a quick one because someone is running to meet you and wants to let you know they are on the way or whatever. But the 2-10 minute ones from SIL drive me mad. Long ramble ones. Either call me to discuss or summarise in a quick text. I am lucky that she is the only one. Dh has a couple.of colleagues who do it on their team whatsapp for scheduling and if drives him.mad too.

It's just so entitled. Like I have 4 minutes to listen to it all?! Argh!!! (And yes, I concede that this is probably aggravated by ongoing issues of SIL being kind and generous on one hand but hugely self absorbed and selfish on the other (kind and generous... on her terms!)

Just put them on speed 2x and listen to what the person you care about has to say?

My phone is always on silent, I’ve never got headphones in and I despise people who use speaker phone in public (and listen to music, podcasts etc without headphones!) so the chances of me listening to a voice note are minimal! Fortunately not many people send them to me and for those that do, I transcribe 🤣
I did encounter a new layer of voice note hell recently when I got sent one on LinkedIn…

I also have a relative with Parkinsonism, voice notes are a lot easier for them as they dont have to type.

i use them and dont mind tbem in the right context I guess. I do t get to see my best friend that often so we send it other very long voice notes as we tend to fill each other in more when we do voice notes then just text. Its like having a phone call and an actual conversation rather then just quick texts of “how are you?” “Yep all good”
we leave each other a voice note and their is no pressure when to reply. Sometimes it might take a week sometimes less. I generally listen on my way to/from work and then reply when I’m waiting in the car on the school run. If anything was urgent I would send a text.
not sure I would send any voice notes in a group chat though!

I agree. If the person cannot actually send texts, then it’s understandable and acceptable.

Otherwise, agreed - I hate them too. If it’s something quick (most of the time - there’s exceptions) and is a voice note for a specific reason (person is hands free, felt it would come across better verbally but we can’t talk on the phone etc) then I don’t mind SO much, because I understand, but I’d rather they were not voice notes.

I especially do not like them if I have been ambushed by them. That is, a sudden random voice note with no context, not a reply to something I’ve asked/said, and was unexpected from no where!

I can’t listen to it privately unless I’m alone - that is, anyone in the vicinity will also be party to whatever message I am receiving. I don’t know what it’s going to contain so I don’t know if it’s going to be appropriate to be overheard by work colleagues, strangers, family members etc. I can’t just take it in at my own pace or absorb the information the same way I would if it were text that I could see, so I often have to re-listen for bits I’ve missed, and as for replying …. I can’t reply and listen at the same time, so I have to keep relistening to the thing - or make notes - to make sure I have answered/responded to all of their points.

I have a friend who will send them occasionally but it’ll be along the lines of “sorry just got your message but can’t text at the moment and wanted you to know I’m not ignoring you/wanted you to know I’ll be there at 2pm etc” - that kind of thing, I understand the reason behind these, so hate them less, though do still worry what I’m going to he playing out loud!

Also, I said there’s exceptions to the shorter notes because why do people send a note to say “do you want to meet up on Saturday”, for example? That’s not urgent to send, they can send it later as a message. If it was urgent then don’t send me a voice note because if its unexpected I’ll not be listening to it until I’m somewhere private and mentally prepared for listening to a voice note!

I think you have unlocked in me just how much I dislike being sent voice notes!!!

Yep but in an actual phone conversation the person doesn’t monologue at you for however long, needing you to remember to reply about their auntie Susan, the kids swimming lesson, and the dog’s new tricks! In a phone call they tell you about Auntie Susan, you respond about Auntie Susan. Sometimes you ask questions or offer input amidst the story of Aunt Susan. I would feel so rude with a voice note forgetting to say “Hope Aunt Susan’s issue gets better”. With text messages the info all comes in one go but you can scroll back to make sure you didn’t miss anything!

Omg all you £%@#£s 😡😡😡 who think oh but don't you love me enough to listen to my voice!!! (pathetic anyway)

Maybe I do... maybe I don't

But I'd rather a two way conversation or a text.

(Or do you not love me enough to listen to my voice???)

Nah, forcing me to listen to you monologue is extraordinarily selfish on your part.

Either write a message or phone me.

Yes that does happen… we quite often will say “sorry forgot to comment on such as such…”

It’s a friend not the queen… it’s all quite relaxed and neither of us gets offended if the other one forgets something. It’s just a good way to keep each other up to date about our lives. I can understand why people don’t like them though.

It can be quite therapeutic, sometimes one of us has had a bad day and we vent and ramble on not expecting the other one to have the answers or anything but it does get it all of our chest. We’ve been sending them for years so it’s not like either one of us has got fed up with it!

I love them! I don’t send them to people that don’t send them to me though. The ones I receive are from my dyslexic son, a dyslexic friend and two friends from overseas (one who doesn’t have English as their first language.) I love hearing their voices 😊

💯

For those who "love to hear voices"

Phone calls work better!
It's actual communication, not your soliloquy

I think theyre rude and entitled. Its convenient for the sender but not the reciever

I hate answering messages, the answering machine is a faff and I often forget. If you have a necessary message and miss me send a text. Because at work, I can glance at a message on a break. I may not be able to listen to voicemail or voice note

But at least with an answering message someone tried to speak to you. With a voice note someone just wants to talk at you.

sometimes we just require a quick check in. There’s a time zone difference. Works for us. Love hearing my friends and family’s voices. People are busy and don’t always have the time for a call. I agree a call would be better, but a voice note is the next best thing for us. Anyway, I think as long as both sides are happy with it I don’t see the problem.

Me too, love the quick messages, anything longer than 30 seconds is annoying.

There are about 3.5 minutes in any given day when I am available for a phone call! A voice note is not something I see as a substitute for a phone call. It’s more like an enhanced text message.

I said YABU, because it isn't the voice note per se you are frustrated with, it is the way your SiL uses them.

Most people I know don't use them regularly at all, but when they do, it is for a valid reason, and they are short, and useful for that situation at that time.

I delete without listening. I can’t be doing with voice notes

Well, that's subjective, isn't it? As demonstrated by the mix of responses on here.

Phone calls don't work better for me, because my schedule is very different from my friend's. I'd rather hear from her in a voice note than not at all.

My colleague started doing it. I told her to stop.

Not always.

The last voice note I had was in a group chat. The sender would have had to make 4 phone calls.

Then, people can't always receive a phone call at the time the person is available to make it. With a voice note, the recipient(s) can listen when it is convenient to them, even if, by then, the sender might not be available.

a person who i would engage with with a voice note would not need to be forced. I do feel sorry for the friends of all the people that hate voice notes. You are accusing them of being entitled and I think the same in reverse about you.

You do you. I'm not listening to a voice note over 10 seconds long.

I hate hate hate them. I won’t listen to them in public, then have to remember to listen later. And if there’s useful information in there, I can’t easily refer back. To all of you who like sending them, can’t you just use the dictation option instead? It will transcribe as you speak, so no more effort for you than a voice note. And your friends will stop cursing you behind your back!!

The good news is, I'm friends with people who feel similarly therefore do not try to subject others to self absorbed wittering.