If you’re like me you probably receive a ton of Broadcast WhatsApp messages from your parents, uncles, aunties regularly. If you’re also like me you check some, reply then leave many messages unanswered till you start feeling guilty wondering if you’re not perceived as being rude or snobbish for not replying.
Going forward I’d use only Parents to represent Uncles, Aunties, any other category that fits into it.
The only reason I could come with why they believe what they see is because the messages are sent by people within their network, at times people they trust.
What’s the rationale behind the constant Broadcast messages (BCs) sent by parents on Instant Message (IM) Platforms? They’re mostly long and frequent, sometimes helpful, often incorrect and generic.
Focus
How many Parents are active on Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, SnapChat, LinkedIn? Most are dedicated to a few platforms and thus have time to really read those long messages and share it with you.
Late adopters
I got my first dose of BCs from Black Berry Messenger (BBM) and since then I could tell a BC by the yellow megaphone icon and even better now from the first few words. I’ve grown weary of BCs. I’d argue that most parents recently got on Instant Messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, they haven’t experienced years of torture from BCs to be weary so they still receive them with open hands.
Nature of Relationship
They care about you and want to give you all the good advise in this world. Perhaps it’s the nature of the relationship. We don’t send our friends news update and life advice constantly (or at least I don’t have any friend who does that to me) because we’re somewhat at par and don’t want to assume the role of I’m your Daddy or Mentor. I feel this is really the defining factor and the reason why it might never stop.
We the “younger complaining generation” of today might even do the same to our children.