I never initiated a topic of discussion. I tended not to express a strong opinion in the group chat. A crowded group is not a place for debates or meaningful discussions. I think our London's group chat is a place for small talks or support of emergency cases, not serious conversations. (Van)
Van's opinion stems from a considerable amount of group engagement in controversial topics such as mental health, white supremacy, politics, feminism, or technology development, to name a few. Some of the talks did end up in disagreement. Van usually tried to listen and slowed the flow down by summarizing the main points of the discussion. Her sentiment of "a group chat is a place for chit-chat" is akin to philosopher Martin Heidegger's description of 'idle talk' in Being and Time. The term 'idle talk' refers to ...
"... the process of communication or 'passing the word along' takes precedence over the content of the talk, which itself becomes simply a way of being together (my emphasis)... The relationship becomes with the talk as opposed to what the talk is about, closing off any meaningful understanding of the topic at hand or the formation of considered individual opinion" (Miller 2015, 262; see also Heidegger 1962).Heidegger's definition might have a negative connotation. However, I argue that because the group primarily operates on the mode of 'idle talk,' it celebrates the dimension of togetherness.
Furthermore, students have different study backgrounds. Topics that need in-depth discussions tend to move the conversation towards the talk's content, and not everyone is interested in the same issues.
I was not quite familiar with the topic of feminism. Some of the sharing is good, including yours (the researcher's.) But when we discussed the subject in the group chat, I did not have the patience to read all the long comments to understand. (Nga)
Even though the amount of serious talks decreased, participants still have the impression that the group is relatively accepting:
We are an open-minded group. I feel comfortable and open to share most things, including topics that I could not initiate with my close friends [in Viet Nam], such as politics, social issues, or sex. (An)
Members of the group, including me, initiated various ideas to dwell in more intellectual space. For instance, Van created a podcast channel to interview group members on education or health. Tien, Nga, and I joined a small reading chatbox on technology and feminism. Thus, besides food and casual complaints, themes of 'idle talk' include entertainment, London's life, or random, ephemeral affairs.
entertainment
Meme sharing is a big part of the group chat. Often, members, including myself, would post pictures of meme spontaneously or those related to the conversations at hand. Most of the memes received reactions of laughing emojis.
For example, with the two memes on the right corner at the bottom in the collage (see figures 10 and 11), they belonged to Nguyet as suggestions of some picture poses for a Brighton trip. She teased me about being the model and she could cover the sand upon my body. Huyen responded that I could not come due to my research, so the whole team should wait until graduation to go to Sam Son - a Vietnamese beach - for the poses. Nguyet's proposal and Huyen's response received some laughing emojis.
Besides, on holidays, when the group could not meet in person due to COVID-19 lockdowns, they would utilize Zoom to celebrate with drinking games, such as Truth or Dare or Pictionary. On New Year's Eve, the group had a tete-a-tete after an online activity. Interlocutors shared about the nostalgia of Viet Nam and their families. Tien told me it was her most memorable event with the team.
london's life and ephemeral affairs
I created a list of random topics students talked about, including but not limited to:
Previous jobs in Viet Nam.
Schoolwork in London.
Cool places in London, such as restaurants, cafes, sight-seeings, or parks.
Potential traveling destinations.
Outdoors pictures.
Handsome guys and classmates.
Health and beauty products.
Planting and Gardening.
London's important events such as Christmas, New Year, the Royal Family's affairs.
Protests on London's streets.
Daily-life routines.
Sometimes, group members asked for updates on a particular incident. For instance, when they hung out in South Bank, a handsome Vietnamese-Chinese guy named Ro came over and helped them take a group picture. Huyen wanted to acquaint the guy; then, the whole group ran after him with different paces. Fortunately, they caught up with Ro after running for five minutes and Huyen's shoelaces came untied. She successfully got his phone number and a group picture with him via her polaroid camera. Tien also gave Ro some handmade Nama chocolates. Afterward, group members occasionally asked for updates from Ro, yet Huyen said there was no progress. Still, many agreed that the event was one of the funniest memories together.
bibliographies
Heidegger, Martin. 1962. Being and Time. Oxford: Blackwell.
Miller, Vincent. “Phatic Culture and the Status Quo: Reconsidering the Purpose of Social Media Activism.” Convergence 23, no. 3 (June 2017): 251–69. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354856515592512.