How to avoid arguments over WhatsApp? 5 tips
WhatsApp has become the most popular media worldwide. So much so, that the all-powerful Mark Zuckerberg acquired the instant messaging company a couple of years ago. The Whatsapp application has become indispensable in modern life, connecting us instantly with family, friends, work groups and other groups in an extremely accessible way.
Added to this phenomenon is the key factor: its use to try to manage delicate personal situations and conflicts in general. WhatsApp discussions are becoming more and more common , while it is always easier to say what we don’t dare to verbalize in person. Using the characters correctly will save you a lot of trouble.
Ways to Avoid Discussions by WhatsApp
Personal encounters are sometimes unavoidable under certain circumstances. However, avoiding arguing over WhatsApp is the first step in managing these conflicts well , as this medium is totally inadequate for resolving such situations. We will now review several keys to achieving this.
1. Don’t say for WhastApp what you wouldn’t say in person
This is one of the great causes of the discussions by WhatsApp. Behind a keyboard we all become extremely brave and say without any shame what we think of the other one on the other side of the screen. Even if it’s a friend or, in some cases, family.
For this simple reason we must avoid crossing the red line by stopping to think, for a moment, if what we are going to say we would say it in person. If the answer is no, that is a symptom of using technology to adopt an avoidance attitude that not only does not solve anything: can aggravate interpersonal problems .
The ease of access to the debate, coupled with the invisibility of the chat, causes many misunderstandings and anger by chat. Today, 4 out of 10 WhatsApp users claim to have argued with someone, and another 2 out of 10 claim to have broken off relations with someone they know.
2. Avoiding Conflicting Issues
Premise number one in any type of debate or talk through this type of media based on mobiles or the Internet. Without being able to avoid all kinds of sensitive issues of misinterpretation or emotional management. Politics, religion, feelings or emotions. All of these issues are recommended to be produced live, in a personal way .
As we pointed out earlier, it is more attractive for the vast majority of people to say what they do on these platforms. We came to say things that we would never even have thought we would be able to say verbally. The simplest way to avoid these problems is to think before you write, before you say something you might later regret.
3. Knowing how to choose the right moment
When it comes to dialogue, contexts are important. Many of the discussions that are created in WhatsApp are due to not knowing how to manage our emotions linked to uncertainty . As WhatsApp is based on the transmission of the minimum possible information when non-verbal language is elided, in case something related to the other person worries us, the minimum stimulus will make us interpret a simple message as a personal attack, a hint, etc.
4. Using Emoticons and Audio Messages
The simple gesture of a smile, an exclamation mark or a friendly expression can radically change the course of the discussion. A “smiley” or “hug” accompanying certain statements helps to ease the tension of the moment.
It is also suggested that more use be made of voice notes. This is another useful method to avoid misinterpretation and correct misinformation. The tone of voice is a differentiating element when expressing ourselves, apart from the fact that it is much more comfortable and instantaneous, especially when we want to qualify our words.
Therefore, the use of elements that go beyond the text is a fundamental element in exploiting the full potential of WhatsApp, thereby improving the quality of communication. You can be assertive without hurting your interlocutor, you can defend a contrary idea without hurting the feelings of others, simply by using certain formulas to express it and using the option of sending audios. In this way you eliminate some of the coldness typical of the exchange of text messages and get a much more relaxed and friendly way of expressing yourself.
5. Tell me how you write and I’ll tell you how you are
To end this list of recommendations to avoid discussions by WhatsApp, we must be especially careful with what we write, and not try to use strange formulas to adopt another personality in the virtual environment. Our narrative defines the personality we have or that is projected, so if we want to be true to our image when we speak, we must apply the same criteria when we write.
If our interlocutor is offended or angry about anything we have written, it is also good to rectify it, not without defending that idea, but without making the others angry or feel disrespected. It is important to remember that what we write says a lot about us.