It is a universal truth that social media group chats are some of the most treacherous, volatile communicative environments in the world today.
I remember the drama when someone leaked some the nonsense spouted in my snapchat group chat with school friends many years ago- the witch hunt was brutal and drawn out, marred by false accusations and dissolving trust. Despite the concept of group conversation existing forever, as a race we seem to fail dramatically at realising the potential risks of retained conversation.
Particularly versed in the art of social media blunders are the UK’s politicians, with the recent inquiry into Boris Johnson’s lockdown WhatsApp messages representing the latest edition of a batshit series of leaks and exposés among those in parliament. The country waits in anticipation to see if the blonde haired buffoon texts with the same extraordinary pomp that he speaks.
Self-proclaimed ‘normal person’ Matt Hancock and Bojo’s no.1 fan Nadine Dorries are just a couple of the names who have had their WhatsApp drama aired for all to see, with the latter even managing to get kicked out of a Tory group chat after she bravely defended the ‘hero’ who ‘delivered Brexit’.
They have all approached group chats in the past with the same absolute blind trust, despite the knowledge that UK politics is more scandal-ridden than a Kardashian’s love life. Apparently the only MP with any awareness of the potential pitfalls of the online chats is the wiggy wig-haired Michael Fabricant who, whilst a walking PR disaster himself, did hit the nail on the head when he described the infamous WhatsApp chat as ‘leaking like a sieve’. The Tories did reportedly move to another messaging app, Signal, after one leak too many a few years ago, yet their previous idiocy continues to haunt them, and may do for some time.
In terms of the actual content of the messages… well I believe suspension of disbelief is the phrase. Seeing then PM Johnson send the message ‘Wtf do we do?’ during a global health crisis was so intensely reminiscent of ‘The Thick of It’s Malcom Tucker that my brain initially digested it in a thick, angry Scottish accent. Altogether it does only feed into the theory that this country’s leaders are in a Truman show-style sitcom.
Should these politicians be shepherded away from group chats, or do we simply sit back and watch the show? It’s a question that will undoubtedly keep being asked until a more sensible/boring government comes into power- so chances are the curtain may fall pretty soon on this production!
Does Rishi Sunak actually love immigration? – Punching Up (shef.ac.uk)
More Tory infighting in the name of Boris Johnson – Punching Up (shef.ac.uk)
Teachers may strike again despite anti-worker laws – Punching Up (shef.ac.uk)