You're so old, you still use WhatsApp

When Emily Scarratt talks to two Edinburgh University players who both made the Scotland Six NAtions squad, the subject of age and social media came up.

You often hear how WhatsApp groups are the main way players with club and international teams keep in touch. The way these two younger players talk about it, joining a WhatsApp group is about as modern as being included on a fax distribution list. They assumed older players mainly kept in touch by email.

Very interesting, I still see whatsapp as the latest way to keep in touch though I do feel a bit out of touch when talking to my son about how he keeps in touch with his friends.

My kids communicate with us olds via WhatsApp, but I gather that my daughters mostly use Snap and Insta among friends. I'm not so sure about my son, but he's the oldest and more staid than the other two.

You wonder if the U20s have a WhatsApp group to mimic the senior side. Like putting on a false beard, to seem more mature.

My club generally uses Whats App for a lot of communication. But our men's team uses Dischord. They want to use a platform which the coaches and club officials cannot use. I'm included because, when not recovering from something, I'm still considered part of the men's team (though the coaches are all mates and most are younger than me). To me, it's funny that what's app is considered for oldies, like facebook, or email, or pen and paper, or classical Sanskrit. or hieroglyphics.

I know loads of people in their 20s, through a Charity, who still use WhatsApp as their primary way of communicating.
None of them are from the UK or USA.

I wonder if the transfer to Instagram and SnapChat is more of a UK/USA thing?

geoff999rugby wrote:I know loads of people in their 20s, through a Charity, who still use WhatsApp as their primary way of communicating.
None of them are from the UK or USA.

I wonder if the transfer to Instagram and SnapChat is more of a UK/USA thing?

I have no idea but will ask my kids when they get out of bed. I remember some years ago Snapchat was a thing, but I thought it had gone the way of the Dodo. Now I hear it's back.

In Japan, the main messaging app is Line, which is closer to the functionality of Weibo in China, than WhatsApp. Foreign players have to install that one if they want to keep in touch with Japanese teammates.

France sounds a bit like the UK. While WhatsApp and Messenger have big installed bases, under 25s are more likely to use SnapChat.

To clarify, I'm talking about, with one exception, people between 25 and 31