Nearly nine in ten Brits (87%) are part of at least one group chat – but 62% admit they have “muted” a group chat, allowing them to quietly ignore incoming messages.

A poll of 2,000 adults revealed that 69% find group chats a useful place to make plans, while almost a third (31%) said the chats help them feel closer to friends and family.

Meanwhile, 52% said being part of a group conversation allows them to keep in touch with people they don't often see – and 11% use them as a way to connect with other over shared passions and interests.

However, don't be fooled by all the smiley-face emojis and kisses – as the people behind these messages may well be at the end of their tether.

Nearly two-thirds (62%) of those polled feel they are part of too many conversations to keep track of them all, with 47% feeling pressured to respond to messages.

But while 8% claim to respond to messages every 10 minutes, 14% admit to being easily irritated by group admin politics – and a quarter (24%) simply object to “too many emojis” being used in the group chat.

Meanwhile, 31% are sick of endlessly discussing plans, that never come to anything in real life.

It also emerged that the most likely group chats to be “muted” include work chats (28%), friend group chats (24%), and family chats (20%).

But sports journalism website, The Athletic, which commissioned the research, is about to launch a new group chat that sports fans will not want to silence – with breaking news from the closing days of the football summer transfer window.

It comes as the research found four in ten football enthusiasts claim to be a member of at least one football-related group chat.

And 42% say this is where they are most likely to share breaking news about the sport with mates and fellow fanatics.

Transfer news and player signings are the most popular topics for over half (55%) of those in football chats, followed by manager sackings and appointments (42%), and arranging football matches with pals (42%).

In response to the survey’s findings, The Athletic is launching its new Insiders Group Chat in the lead up to Deadline Day on Friday, 1 September, making football fans privy to breaking news during the final two days of the summer transfer window.

David Ornstein, Football Correspondent at The Athletic – and the man who broke the news of Harry Kane’s move to Bayern Munich – said: “The Athletic’s Insiders Group Chat is an opportunity for fans of the game to step inside the transfer window during two of the most exciting days of the sport, as myself and other members of The Athletic team will share news, as it breaks, with our chat members before anywhere else.”

To sign up, visit here. Sign-ups will be open from Thursday, 24 August, to Tuesday, 29 August, with the activity going live from Thursday, 31 August, until the transfer window closes on 1st September. Full terms of use can be found at the link above.

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