[sneak]

We will never be free of WhatsApp if we continue caving and using the service, making it more valuable to others.

Every time you cave and use Facebook spyware, you make it harder for the next person.

Stop using tools that make the world worse. Tell your contacts to install Signal instead.

You must be unreachable on WhatsApp, so that the utility of the app is not increased for others.

[Beltalowda]

Signal is just as smartphone-tied as WhatsApp. It's actually worse, as there is no web version and the desktop app is flaky. So there is no improvement here at all in this regard.

[yusmary]

Signal is also shitty in the sense that it announces your presence to anyone that is using the service prior to you and has your number.

If you only want some people to know you are there, you are screwed

[sneak]

This is hugely incorrect. Signal is private, WhatsApp is not.

Go read the app privacy labels if you don't believe me.

[Beltalowda]

This is about smartphone usage, not privacy. You're injecting a completely different issue here.

[Freak_NL]

That's what I do currently, but when some other kid's parents are organising a birthday party I can of course ask them not to use WhatsApp, but then my kid will be the kid with the parents who want to make things hard for everyone.

If this means that I have to get WhatsApp just for those things, than I can hardly refuse without making my son a social recluse.

[sneak]

No, you are the one parent who isn't making things hard for everyone. It's people demanding you and everyone else in society use Facebook spyware who are making things hard for everyone: not just your class, but all of the people of the world.

You don't make things better by making bad choices.