“The Bloody WhatsApp Thing”: A Qualitative Investigation of Experiences of Social Messaging in a Volunteering Setting

Abstract

Research on the use of social messaging systems and on volunteering has indicated divergent experiences of each. We bring together research in these two domains using an examination of experiences of WhatsApp use by volunteers for a specific charity. Our qualitative analysis illustrates benefits and challenges of using WhatsApp in this specific context. While WhatsApp was perceived as facilitating information exchange in support of volunteering activity, it was also seen as a compromise. Moreover, the perceived noisy intrusion of WhatsApp alerts and lack of a clear, shared purpose of the group was experienced negatively. Our findings are used to discuss some of the potential practical implications for volunteer experiences and additionally contribute to the development of our understanding of the volunteering process via the introduction of the concept of digital volunteerspaces.