People reply less and less these days

[AliceAbsolum]

Mostly to whatsapps because that's how I communicate with most people.

They either take weeks to respond, or just don't bother at all.

Maybe it's me! I just feel like people want to be less and less social. Definitely since covid, but I've noticed a further shift in the last 8-12 months.

Makes me sad really.

You should probably text them.

Some people are in 100s of WA groups so tend to get busy on it, replying to everyone.

I tend to not reply. I find the amount of messages I get on WhatsApp completely overhelming. Between several different class WhatsApp groups, sports groups, kids clubs, it's just too much. It's made me want to switch off from the whole thing tbh. And yes, I do mute several groups that I don't need to be constantly in touch with.

Surprise them! Give them a call and actually TALK to them.

What kind of things are you messaging? Are they chatty messages or messages with specific questions?

I find that people send way too many WhatsApp messages for my liking. I barely respond to 50%. Can't be arsed. Call me if it's important and you need a response.

Who calls people these days?! If I rang a friend they'd think something was seriously wrong!

Both

Op find that too. Ages to reply. Oh keep in touch. Puts me off planning things now. Ages to reply or no reply!

Its voicenotes now nobody phones!

Definitely not my experience - all my messages get a response unless I’m just confirming something in which case it’s not needed anyway.

I only message my close friends and family though, and not very often at that.

Lots of people call each other. Granted, normally after a WhatsApp checking they’re free to talk, but if they aren’t responding just call.

I guess most people are busy trying to juggle work/family/commute/household. I have a friend when she was between jobs used to send load and load of chatty messages. I just simply did not have the time to reply to them all.

I hear you. I try not to message too much ! I recently messaged two of my closest friends who are in a group and they both totally ignored me (this was about meeting up).Awkward and hurtful to be honest!

Sad isn't it. Work ourselves into the ground. For what.

I'm very much a lone wolf. I kept in touch with one friend i've known 60 years - she now lives in a different part of the world.
We used to email regularly. Then she started using WhatsApp to communicate with her other friends. She wanted me to start using WhatsApp so we could do short messages frequently. The thought of that, and the pressure to keep messaging all the time just gives ne such a sense of claustrophobia and pressure that i won't download WhatsApp.

So now she finds emails too much like hard work and mentally I can't cope with WhatsApp so we rarely communicate at all and after so many years the friendship is dying off.

yes, I've noticed this, both in myself and other people. Truth is there are sooooo many ways to contact and be contacted and it's just really overwhelming. Sometimes I just cannot face looking at WhatsApp and it's a bit arbitrary the messages that get answered and that don't. If I pick up my phone at a time I'm feeling tech resilient then I'll answer everyone but if I'm feeling screen sick for a variety of reasons it's really easy to miss messages / think I'll just pick them up later and then they get lost under a pile of other message. A friend of mine has just taken to ignoring it all and then working through her phone book and calling people on an alphabetical basis. You could do the same with voicenotes I guess

I've found this too. It's the same reason people can't be bothered to meet up anymore, scrolling on your phone passes the time and gives you that dopamine hit, you don't need anything else.

Adding to this is that it's no longer considered less than ideal to do this, it's considered "self care". People give themselves an excuse in the form of thinking how overwhelmed and busy they are.

Who are these people?

I respond to my partner, kids and close friends pretty quickly. I’m slow to respond to others because I’m not that interested. 😬

I mute lots of people and groups on WhatsApp.

Unless it is a question that requires an answer, what's the problem. As someone on another thread said, people are starting to self-regulate the amount of time they check their phone.

People are starting to self-regulate the amount of time they check their phone.

I haven't seen this at all, pretty much everyone I know spends hours and hours a day scrolling and their phone never leaves their hand. But they are "so busy".

why don't you try to organise a night out with your friends, maybe monthly but nothing formall, just a meet up. Just catch up then, that way you'll have loads more to talk about when you do see her

I hate texting and whatsapping. To me, a text/ WhatsApp is for making a quick arrangement or sending a pic.
Just ring people! They won’t answer if it’s not convenient. I talk to at least 4 people on the phone every week ( not the same people).

Just because someone is on their phone doesn’t mean they want to get into a conversation though.

They are busy doing what they want, just not something you feel is worthy by the sounds of it. A lot of busyness is created. It doesn’t mean people aren’t busy.

It’s not you. Personally it’s because I’m sick of being constantly contacted by everyone and expected to reply. I reply when it’s convenient. I’m not a tap with constant flowing contact with the outside world. I leave my phone in another room for most of the day. I’ve stopped watching TV mostly too - now I garden and bake and knit and sew and read and it’s divine