Group chats are what keep our phones alive, no matter how far their members might be from each other in the real world. Whether it’s your family who take down their masks in front of one another, or colleagues constantly spilling the latest office tea, GCs have a way of going completely sideways.
The subreddit r/texts is full of screenshots showing just how unhinged conversations can get, when there are five, ten, or even twenty people confined to the same thread, all adding their own personality to the chaos. When those notifications light up, you know something wild is happening!
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#1 Madlad Dad
© Photo: Anush_G26
#2 Got Included In A Group Chat I Wasn’t Meant To Be
I’m getting other people’s work dramas that I have no context for and I am THRIVING on it. I’m also being incredibly helpful.
© Photo: spopococ
We really are in the age of the Group Chat. For example, WhatsApp, the most popular messaging service worldwide, gained more than two and a half billion active users from 2012 to 2023 and is estimated to have over three billion now.
One study found that less than 2 percent of users had only one-on-one chats on the app and concluded that “the group chat feature is used frequently by nearly every WhatsApp user.”
But you can also group-chat through SMS, iMessage, GroupMe, Messenger, WeChat—or one of the million other apps you can install on your device.
#3 Group Chats Are Great!
© Photo: ViZoR51
#4 Grandpa In The Family Group Chat
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#5 Moazzam’s [angry] In The Group Chat Today
© Photo: User
Just a few years ago, we might have spent less time chatting and more scrolling on social media, but with X (formerly known as Twitter) in a constant state of disarray, Facebook falling out of style, and Instagram taken over by ads, social media is feeling less and less social.
Jeffrey A. Hall, a communication professor at the University of Kansas who studies technology and relationships, told The Atlantic this is the “twilight of the social-media era,” in which “the distance between using it for talking to your friends and what we have now” is bigger than it’s ever been. He believes that although those sites aren’t fostering real connection—advice, inside jokes, updates, memes—nearly as much anymore, people might be reclaiming it through group chats.
#6 My Sister Accidentally Broke My Favorite Glass And Wrote A Eulogy For It In The Family Group Chat
© Photo: Suspicious_Drive6655
#7 I Sent A Pic Of The Cinnamon Rolls I Baked To The Family Group Chat And Everyone Got Really Serious About Choosing Their Piece 😅
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#8 In The Group Chat With My Ex-Husband And His Partner. Headed To My Ex Mother-In-Law’s House. We Have A Kid, I’m So Glad We’re Friends
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#9 Context : My Twin Is Diabetic And This Is A Group Chat
© Photo: TrayDaBoss23
Having a chat (or two) going means you have a space to share your mundane little updates throughout the day. Studies have found that group chats can contribute to group cohesion and shared fun—a reminder that you’re part of something.
Some experts call this “ambient virtual presence”: even when you’re alone, you’re not alone.
Others compare this phenomenon to echolocation, the process that some animals, such as bats and dolphins, use to locate objects, when they produce a continuous sound and use the resulting echo to sense what’s around them.
Only we do it through technology, navigating our social networks with little signals—messages, reactions, pictures.
#10 How I Found Out I Was Losing My Job
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#11 Someone In My Extended Family Group Chat Accidentally Added A Random Number (Blue) When It Was Made About A Year Back. No One Noticed Until Yesterday When They Decided To Comment On My Great Uncles (Green) Hospital Visit. Apparently They Have Some Special Medicine
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#12 My Dad Daydreaming About His Future Grave Monument
my dad visited some famous cemetery with elaborate headstones/monuments and then for half an hour was sending AI creations he made as inspo💀
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#13 Kid Replied To The AI Job Offer Group Text Chat
Anybody else get these bots texting you about some Indeed.com opportunity? Sorry the initial scam text isn’t there, I tend to delete the messages right away. This time I didn’t block the # or remember to leave the chat. Today some kid replied to the group chat and I d**d laughing. So I’m sharing in hopes it gives you a chuckle too.
© Photo: Lengua_Luna
At a certain point, however, it might get a little too crazy. A survey of people in the United States and United Kingdom found that 40% of respondents indicated they were overwhelmed by group chat messages and notifications.
Australia-based clinical psychologist Lillian Nejad claims she has noticed this in her private practice, and her clients often mention the anxiety they experience about their group chats.
“Group chats can have a really positive function, and facilitate social connection, but everything that’s functional can be dysfunctional,” she explained.
#14 My Contribution To The Family Group Chat This Morning
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#15 Got This In The Class Group Chat (We Are All Adults In A Technical School Program)
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#16 Factory Recall For Organs
I’m the second one of my sibs to have gallbladder surgery. So I decided to issue a recall for it in the family group chat.
© Photo: Real_Influence_8311
#17 My Mom Removed Me From The Group Chat After I Sent This Emoji
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Nejad says her clients report being “overwhelmed” by the number of group chats they’re in or by the sheer volume of messages in a particular chat.
Sometimes, this leads them to mute certain chats or consider leaving, but then worry about how to do so politely.
“The problem is there’s no right way of doing things at the moment because there are no clear rules about engagement or disengagement,” she added.
#18 W Work Group Chat Even In Days Off LOL
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#19 Just When You Thought You Made Some New Friends…
Got randomly added into a group chat and thought I’d have some fun with it
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#20 My Maga Mom In The Family Group Chat
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#21 Some People Just Don’t Care On My Group Chat
© Photo: Anonymous-Zackwest
But Professor Hall believes that of all the different ways you can use social media, the evidence suggests that actively talking to people you care about—about subjects you care about—is what’s likeliest to contribute to your well-being.
To manage the noise, his general advice is this: let go of “zombie” groups—grexts that are carrying on but don’t really interest you. Turn your attention to the ones you most value. And when you can, see people in person or give them a call instead.
#22 I Made The Mistake Of Giving A Local Cafe My Phone Number For Potential Free Breakfast Meal. They Sent A Group Chat To All Customers That Signed Up…
I won by the way…. But they sent it after breakfast hours and I won’t be at work tomorrow (this cafe is within walking distance of my job). 👍
© Photo: talkingtimmy3
#23 Text I (M25) Received From My Older Brother (M37) Last Night Makes Me Feel Like I Left A “Cult”
WARNING: Long Post I (M25) received a text message from my older brother (M37), who lives in Virginia, 4 hours away from my parents house in PA. Earlier this day, my father had texted me “Are you alive?” because I hadn’t “texted in a week” (I texted him 4 days ago). He visits them as often as possible, even being told sometimes to not bother coming because he comes so often. For context, my oldest brother (M38) has lived at home with my parents for his entire life and has no plans of leaving yet. He leaves his girlfriend at home, doesn’t go out with her very often. He abandons her for days at a time while he goes and visits my parents. Meanwhile, I live about 15 minutes away and I’ve only been there a few times in the past few months. I have been making the effort to live my own life and set new boundaries on how often I’m expected to be there and call. My dad would pretty much have me do roll call every morning and ask where I’m working “for my safety”. Before I had moved out with my girlfriend (F26), I was expected to text my mom or dad every time I left her place before we were going anywhere. This was also before I learned how to drive. I was never pressured to learn how to cook, drive, clean, or do any basic necessities and chores to become an adult. I was actually told no every time I had asked to learn. I was always told “I will just do it/I’ll do it for you”. I am much happier now that I have moved out, and my supportive girlfriend has helped me along the way. It’s visible to others how much happier I am as well. When trying to move out, they didn’t speak to me for days. They blamed my girlfriend, who was apparently “forcing me” and “brainwashing me” to move out and away from them, even though we are only a town over. My family has never liked my girlfriend and would always make a fuss or cause an issue over me hanging out with her “more than them”. They were trying to turn me against her for months, even though this was my first ever relationship. I have also refused to let my family into my apartment, as I believe they have no reason to. They know the general area where I live, but nothing specific, so they really don’t know where I live. In the past, I did not really go out much nor did I really have any friends. I was always afraid of scaring people with my parents and have always been embarrassed by them. For years, I stayed up in my room and played video games. My mother is an unstable narcissist and my father has always been emotionally unavailable. I’ve never had anyone to talk about my true feelings until I met my girlfriend. After having an outside view on what she was seeing, it made me realize that this was all not normal, and I feel like I have left a “cult” after receiving that text last night. He was basically saying to me how high and mighty he was and how much better of a son he is because he chooses to do all of that. Has anyone else dealt with anything like this? Feel free to ask more questions if more context is needed. TL;DR: Text from my brother makes me feel like I left a “family cult”.
© Photo: AntiTheMute
#24 I Definitely Did Not Change The Name Of My Friends Group Chat To The Bee Movie Script… Definitely Didn’t
© Photo: User
#25 What Is This Girl In My Friend Group Yapping About
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#26 A Couple Of Years Ago I Ended Up In Some Random Family’s Group Chat And Ended Up Naming Their Baby
I have no idea who these people are, but they included me in their group chat that was started when one of the adult siblings had a baby. I just responded politely stuff like “oh cute! Congratulations!”. They started asking for baby name suggestions, I gave mine, “Rose” (part of one of my kid’s names), and they loved it and used it. After about a year of this, one of them finally found me out, apparently they thought I was their mom lol. One of them immediately removed me from the group chat. I still think of them occasionally (I was cleaning out my texts and came across theirs). I wonder how the baby is doing lol.
© Photo: User
#27 Friend Announces Engagement On Group Chat On The Same Day That I Inform Them Of A Close Family Member Passing Away
Friend announces his engagement on video call. He probably didn’t read my messages at all since he didn’t even react to them. Then everyone on the group chat started congratulating him. Was pretty annoying and jarring but also weirdly funny.
© Photo: No-Principle7109
#28 Girl I’ve Been Talking To For Weeks Randomly Asking Me To Get Into A Group Chat With Her Ex
© Photo: Tight_Ad6579
#29 I Accidently Used The Trigger Word (In A Family Group Chat)
© Photo: grahan1319
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