8 WeChat group chats you're currently stuck in

'Oh cool! I've been added to a group chat,' said nobody ever

The one where people only talk in stickers

You've not checked the chat for a while and now it's all cats. Just endless stickers of cats. The last message you saw was about deciding where to go for brunch for Jane's birthday, but now it's just cats. A cat in a hat; a surprised cat; a cute cat; a cat wearing a shirt; a cat creepily stood on its hind legs; Top Cat; Grumpy Cat; that talking cat from Sabrina the Teenage Witch... You have no idea what sparked this barrage of feline-themed stickers, and you don't really want to scroll up through them all to find out. 'Have we decided on a venue then?' you (foolishly) ask. 'Anyone fancy ElEfante?' You get an immediate barrage of replies - no answers to your question, just cats. Just cats.

The flatmates group

Basically just a chat about paying bills, taking the bins out and getting rid of the milk in the fridge when it starts going off. No excitement ever stems from this group: 'The bulb in the kitchen has gone.' 'We're out of laundry powder.' 'Who drank my juice?' It's like being a student again except you're not students - you're adults. Adults cohabiting with strangers because you can't afford your own place. Adults eating each other's bread. Adults trying to use a discrete enough amount of each other's shower gel so that the person who bought it doesn't notice. Adults who say 'it's fine' that Angela's boyfriend has been living there for the past four months without paying any utilities.

The office chat

flickr: Robbie Sproule

'Who wants coffee?' - an innocent question that you soon regret asking when you're trying to squeeze into the elevator back up to the office with three cappuccinos, four iced lattes, a hot chocolate and a blueberry muffin in tow. The office group chat is dangerous territory and somewhere you should tread carefully. In amongst the messages about morning meetings, the water cooler needing refilling and Dave from accounts running ten minutes late (again!), you try to inject some personality into the monotony of office-based graft. This is a mistake. Do not do this. Remember when you sent that sticker and had to see your supervisor 'for a chat?’ You’re best off keeping your head down.

The sports team

You joined in the hope of getting some exercise and maybe making a few new friends but didn't realise how keen everyone would be. The messages are nonstop: 'Anyone fancy some extra training Saturday morning?' 'Meet up before the game to talk tactics?' 'Anybody wanna watch the match tomorrow night? [football emoji] It's on at The Camel at 2am.' All you wanted to do was have a bit of fun; something to take your mind off work and get you out of the house, but here you are sat in Big Bamboo getting a post-match talking down from your captain about you not tracking back enough to help out the defenders.

The party group

'Party at ours Friday night. 8pm til late [wink emoji]. BYOB. The last 'B' stands for banter [sticker supposedly signifying banter].' A steady stream of RSVPs start pouring in; people start asking for the address; people ask if they can bring a friend; people ask if there's a plan to go out afterwards. As the party draws nearer it turns into guests having conversations and making inside jokes between themselves that you don't understand. Then you discover that Lee and Charlotte are both gonna be there. They broke up a couple of months ago and it's all going to turn into a big cry in the kitchen. Maybe you should give this one a miss.

The housing group

You have no intentions of moving (you can't afford to, basically) but stay in the group anyway just to look at pictures of all the nice apartments that you'll never live in. In amongst a throng of agents messages and SmartShanghai listings you see some glorious homes that make you feel bad about the literal box you live in now, regardless of its proximity to the metro AND a Carrefour. You see balconies and plush sofas, you even saw one listing that had a real oven. You'd settle for a hob that didn't turn itself off in the middle of cooking.

The one you got added to by accident but stay anyway

You're not sure how you ended up in 'Shanghai Race Walkers' group chat but you stay for the gossip. Apparently Greg's victory in the last race is under scrutiny because a spectator supposedly has footage of him with two feet off the road, which is grounds for disqualification. Greg disputes the fact and claims the footage is inconclusive, so the result should still stand. It's like a weird WeChat-based race walking-themed soap opera - and you love it.

The foodie group

Just pictures of people's meals. Not even people you know or care about. Just pictures of strangers' food. You aren't interested in the random people's avocado toast, sliders or dan dan mian. You could quite easily leave the group - you never post yourself - but you can't bring yourself to do it. You secretly love it every time you get a notification. You live to critique. You're a foodie-fuelled narcissist.

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