WhatsApp: advantages and disadvantages

More than a fad, new technologies have revolutionized with apparent ease our way of communicating. The Whatsapp has been introduced into our lives and what was originally born as a messaging service, today has become a social network, which not only supports text messages, but telephone conversations and video calls.

In addition, it allows the creation of groups, which have left no one indifferent, due to the controversy that some of them have provoked when they are not followed basic standards of education, protocol and etiquette. For this reason and so that we all know how to behave correctly when talking to others through Whatsapp, especially if we are parents and belong to one of these groups of WhatsApp of parents of the school, we have established a list with some of the most outstanding advantages and disadvantages that derive from its use.

Advantages of using WhatsApp

1. Groups of WhatsApp. One of the main advantages of this application is that of communicate to several people at the same time. The WhatsApp groups have come to replace the email chains and there are many types.

Family groups keep everyone in touch, help organize the family day to day and share moments and experiences, which can have a positive impact on the family environment. If we talk about families in which one of its members lives outside, these advantages multiply.

In a similar way, many groups of friends, co-workers, school, faculty, mothers of schoolmates of their children, those who play paddle tennis ... have created their own groups on WhatsApp. In them organize events and share important events, in a simple way and that also avoids misunderstandings derived from the transmission of information from one to another, since in this case everyone receives it at the same time.

2. WhatsApp in the distance. Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of WhatsApp is the ease with which it keeps people in contact despite the distance. It is a key way to communicate in a society in continuous movement, in which leaving your city, or your country, to study or work is more a rule than an exception.

3. WhatsApp efficiency. This application is probably the fastest and most economical of the forms of communication we have today. More economical than the phone and probably more immediate than email in some contexts.

Disadvantages of using WhatsApp

1. Written communication is much poorer than oral communication. The main difference between oral and written communication is that the latter loses all the non-verbal aspects that accompany the language. Oral communication is very rich in nuances: the tone of voice, the speed of language, body posture, facial expression, hand gestures ... are a series of details that can radically change the meaning of a speech.

Many times what we say is not so important, but how we say it. Think of a simple word like "thank you." We can say it in a thousand different ways and express different things. All those connotations, which go beyond the verbal, are lost in WhatsApp. The emoticons and other add-ons of the application can correct these differences on some occasion, but they can hardly cause the same effect as the expression.

On the other hand, we can fall into the error of trying on WhatsApp certain sensitive or important issues to avoid the difficulty of talking about them in person. Considering the importance of the non-verbal in communication, it is worthwhile to be brave when it comes to dealing with topics that are delicate to us so as not to lose the richness of verbal communication.

2. Misinterpretations and other problems with WhatsApp. One of the problems comes, therefore, that a written message, separated from the non-verbal, has many possible interpretations and the interpretation given by the person receiving the message can be very different from that of the issuer. Attributing to the other an intention different from the one that had made communication difficult and in the long run hinders relationships.

3. Immediateness. The rapid communication that WhatsApp offers us can make us
let's engage in the trap of immediacy. It seems that when we send a WhatsApp we are waiting for an answer at that moment, and the delay of that answer makes us uneasy, we look continuously at the phone, the last hour of connection ...

Conversely, we ourselves may have difficulty postponing the response when we receive a message, which explains why we answer in the middle of a dinner with friends, a work meeting or the doctor's consultation. Certain aspects of the application such as showing the last connection time or the double check they can limit our freedom not to answer at that precise moment and can be used as an argument to demand an immediate response. It is as if we had to be available at all times. Nothing is further from reality.But if you think this is an exaggeration, let's do an experiment: Would you be able to hear that you received a WhatsApp and wait 15 minutes before looking at your mobile?

4. Addicted to WhatsApp. Using WhatsApp is an apparently positive behavior that can become problematic if the frequency and intensity with which it develops interferes with the life of the user. We would be talking about a
addiction to WhatsApp. No need to be alarmed, just remember the need
to make responsible use of new technologies.

In summary, take advantage of all the facilities offered by this new application, enjoy being in contact with ours wherever they are, but let's not forget that it is just a form of communication, not the only one. We do not allow him to replace others and we do not lose sight of his limitations or demand what is not his.

Marisol Nuevo Espín

It may interest you:

- WhatsApp: 8 tips for good use for children

- WhatsApp parent groups, harmful to children

- WhatsApp and Line, in life as a couple