Friends’ groups, family groups, office groups, alumni groups, society groups. This gang, that team. This batch, that school. Immediate family, extended family. We are all part of this crazy, crosslinked maze of WhatsApp. A world of shares, memes and forwards. Of posts, threads and emojis. Of bitter arguments and random discussions.
In this parallel universe everyone has a persona, a style and a temperament which can be so very different than the one in the physical world. An introvert may transform into a belligerent bully. A serious guy can crack the funniest puns. A close friend suddenly could become a political enemy.
But scant attention has been paid by psychologists to study this behaviour. I sat down to fill in this gap in academic research.
Here is my list of most frequently encountered WhatsApp personality types. As you go through the list I am sure you'll recognise someone on your groups that fits the category.
Sanskaari : A la Alok Nath, these denizens of WhatsApp are the epitome of Indian family values. Their spouses love them, they love their mother-in-law who in turn loved her mother-in-law at her time. If it wasn't for their daily inspirational posts our life would be without meaning.
EkHazaari : These are the relentless forwarders. They won't rest till they touch a thousand. So they send the same post to every one. Most of them are generally harmless but watch out for that evil intentioned spammer or the lech in this category.
Gulzaari : These sher-o-shayari fanatics post one or two everyday. Your reaction to them will probably depend on your mood and time of the day. You don't mind them when sitting in a mellow mood with a drink but if you're checking your phone slyly during office meetings they are to be skipped.
Tyohaari : These people normally keep a very low profile but come alive at every festival in the panchang. Expect them to be the first to post animated diya gifs on Diwali. Or splattering colour on your screen on Holi. The more extreme tyohaaris make it a point to greet you on festivals which you don't observe. A sub caste of the Tyohaaris is the Namaskaari. For a Namaskaari everyday is a new festival. A cheery good morning from them greets you every day. However you will then probably not see them again for the rest of the day.
Kaandahaari : They are the terrorists who like to hijack your thread and take the discussions forcibly into unwanted territory. It is best to leave as soon as you spot these aggressive ones enter. If they will let you go, that is.
HaHa kaari : The sole objective of these simple, self confessed laugh rioters is elicit a 'Ha Ha' from you. Humour them with a smiley if you're amused or feeling generous. But beware this only encourages them to post more.
Parivaari : 'Hum do, humaare do + dog' is their motto and their world. You will get to hear about the exploits of their kids, their two year old grandchild or their ugly mastiff. But don't expect them to move out of this comfort zone.
TeriMeriYaari : They are the ones who love you as a friend and are not shy to say so. The female of the species will post hearts and hugs five times on every thread.The male of the species keep promising to meet over a drink very soon.
AntiAtyachaari : They are the crusaders against all social and political ills. Easily outraged they fire their AA guns on their timelines at anything and everything within firing range. Once the issue cools down so does their anger. A sub type of this class is the Paropkari who is constantly in donation collection mode for some cause or the other.
DesiKhaariInEnglishMarie : They are the ubiquitous NRIs who are more desi than the desis. Their annual pilgrimage to India in Dec keeps them more informed about India's problems and how to solve them than the rest of us. As they say, phir bhi dil hai Hindustani.
Roz-Iftaari : The delectable dishes in the Michelin Star restaurants needs to be captured as jpegs before they are washed down the gutter which is the alimentary canal. And no one does it better and more regularly than the Roz-Iftaaris.
Did I leave out some categories?
- Anuj
