How can I stop a text message thread from jumping to the bottom when a new text comes?

When you are in a text/iMessage conversation and you have missed a bunch of messages, it can be really annoying trying to read all the missed messages, only to have the thread jump back to the bottom every time a new message arrives. This is especially problematic in group texts when you've already missed a hundred and new ones are coming in every couple seconds.

While there is no official method of turning this feature off, an easy and reliable method of catching up without being interrupted is to simply turn airplane mode on until you are caught up. You might have to do some more catching up once you turn it off, but you'll at least be closer to the "live" action. Supposedly if you keep your finger on the screen while you are scrolling through, it will return you to your spot after it jumps to the bottom to show you the new text. I have found this to be annoying and unreliable as well, so it's easiest to just go the airplane mode route.