It is extremely widespread in Europe. In Germany, a good 50 million people (out of 80) use it every day. I would describe myself as very tech-savvy and privacy-conscious and would normally never use it , but since everyone in the family and friends use it without exception, there is no escape.
Comment on WhatsApp is one step closer to adding email address verification
Dyskolos@lemmy.zip 7 months agoNever met an it-pro using that thing. And beside some boomers and younger technically challenged, i have never seen one using it. To each his own. People actually use facebook too. Or even twi… Errr. X.
Metz@lemmy.world 7 months ago
Dyskolos@lemmy.zip 7 months ago
I’m german too, and I just deny using a tool just because “everyone else does it”. Those who use it and want to contact me, have bad luck or just use a decent messenger. This “there-is-no-escape”-mentality helps that shitty company to keep its grasp on people. I try to educate and offer alternatives. If it’s not accepted, then at least I tried.
desconectado@lemm.ee 7 months ago
Nah man, I value way more the contact with my mum and close friends more than refusing to use an stupid app.
If my mum is in trouble and try to message me via WhatsApp: “sorry mum, I don’t answer WhatsApp messages, good luck next time trying to get someone to help you”. By the way, most of my family calls via WhatsApp because we live in different countries.
Dyskolos@lemmy.zip 7 months ago
So. They can choose the app, but you mustn’t? That’s a weird reasoning imho.
You know, there’s still a thing like sms or email if they really have to and ignore my simple wishes.
brunox@feddit.cl 7 months ago
Same here. You can not use it yourself but it will mostly keep you out of the loop on everything.
Dyskolos@lemmy.zip 7 months ago
How is that even a thing? are your data-plans that shitty that this bit of whatsapp-traffic matters? Unless you’re sending some hour-long movies every days.
brunox@feddit.cl 7 months ago
Depends on the country, in mine data plans are not that expensive (add some asterisks to that). But they include those “whatsapp free” or some streaming service traffic with no cost to get the edge over other phone companies. All of them mostly have the whatsapp free thing.
I used to live in a different country and it did make a significant difference, as @desconectado@lemm.ee points out below.
desconectado@lemm.ee 7 months ago
Data plans exists, but there is no good middle ground. You have the unlimited 4g connection for 20 USD , or the WhatsApp only for a few dollars.
Most of the people, specially older age or people who already have unlimited data from work phones, do not need 4g unlimited connection, so why spend extra 15 USD (which is a lot in latin America), if you can still communicate perfectly fine via WhatsApp.
Swarfega@lemm.ee 7 months ago
IT Pro here. I use it. WhatsApp was around way before Zuckerberg was involved with it.
I’m all for getting away from WhatsApp but at this point it’s well ingrained with the general population. I’d love to see RCS take over.
Hangglide@lemmy.world 7 months ago
You have never been to South America.
Dyskolos@lemmy.zip 7 months ago
Sadly no. But would not change my stance anyway 😊
SomethingBurger@jlai.lu 7 months ago
In Europe it’s used by almost everyone.
Dyskolos@lemmy.zip 7 months ago
I’m also in Europe. And for me it’s as i said. Wouldn’t even know one reason FOR whatsapp besides the popularity.
desconectado@lemm.ee 7 months ago
Yeah, that’s small little thing, that everyone uses it. I’ve been waiting to get away from WhatsApp for years, but I would be an idiot to say that I can get away from it and still communicate with my family and friends via text.
Dyskolos@lemmy.zip 7 months ago
If everyone would think this way, all other messengers would be extinct and Zuckerberg would rule over everyones most personal data. And then, oh wonder, it suddenly has a subscription-cost too.
Not for me. If people are so stubborn to use it, they gotta go back to email or sms if they really wanna reach me. I don’t use that crap, nor facebook or twitter or instagram or tiktok or…