WhatsApp is the most popular instant messenger app on the planet with over 700 million downloads since it was launched just a few years ago.
You can imagine how many messages are sent via this app on a daily basis, but recently WhatsApp have made a change that may very well have a negative impact on how people view their service. This change involves a simple blue tick and it could really change how your friends respond to you in the future.
What Does The Blue Tick Do?
In the past, there was one blue tick on WhatsApp and all that was there for was to tell your friend that their message had been sent and that it had also been received on the other handset. That was its sole purpose. There was no indication as to whether it had been viewed or anything by the person you sent it to and this, in a sense, gave the other person a certain amount of privacy.
However, in late 2014 that all changed with the introduction of a second blue tick into the equation. This blue tick changes everything because now the message that they send to you gets a second blue tick when the message has been read and it is this change that has an impact on your privacy.
The Problems It Can Cause
There are several potential problems here. It is now always possible to reply to a message for a whole host of reasons, but now with the appearance of this second tick, the person that sent you the message will wonder why you have not replied. Can you imagine the thoughts that can then race through the head of some people? Why are they ignoring me? What have I done wrong? What are they doing?
From the side of the receiver you have to think about how that then feels. You can fully intend to reply late, but now you feel compelled to do it immediately just to avoid a scene or explaining to somebody why you seemed to be ignoring them. It really does allow a person to pry into your online activity, and to a certain extent offline as well, when they basically have no right to do so.
This issue is then further compounded by the fact that this is not exactly optional such as a read receipt tag on an email or the ability to switch it off on the likes of Facebook. You are stuck with it and all of the consequences that then come with it.
The blue tick is, therefore, an issue because:
- It no longer just tells people you have received it, but also now when you have read it.
- You feel compelled to then chat to people when perhaps you are busy elsewhere.
- It adds to feelings of insecurity in some people and is something that could so easily have been avoided.
WhatsApp may have thought that this was a cool addition, but it just feels as if it is very intrusive instead. You can see why it could make some people turn away from using the app and switch to something else that offers a bit more privacy because would you like to be preyed upon in this way? If you are normal, then of course not and there is no harm in having that thought about your personal life.
- TFT
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