Social Media use

[circatee]

After reading another thread about smartphone device use, the conversation lead towards Social Media use.

With that, I am curious if anyone simply does not use Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etcetera)?
If yes, any particular reason why?

I have stayed off Twitter and Instagram, for about 5-6 months now. And, I have been seriously considering just deleting my accounts.

Anyway, merely conversing here...

 

[theapplehead]

After reading another thread about smartphone device use, the conversation lead towards Social Media use.

With that, I am curious if anyone simply does not use Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etcetera)?
If yes, any particular reason why?

I have stayed off Twitter and Instagram, for about 5-6 months now. And, I have been seriously considering just deleting my accounts.

Anyway, merely conversing here...

For me, I use Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and Facebook. In my defense I hardly ever get on Facebook anymore. It’s become such a cluttered app, and I really don’t care for it or for seeing family post ridiculous pictures that no one really cares about. I tried to avoid Snapchat for about a year, and then I just gave in because a lot of my other friends were using it. Peer pressure. So yeah, I suppose I do have a decent number of social media apps, however I spend less than 2 hours total on all of them each day. If that counts for anything.

 

[velocityg4]

Unless posting on MacRumors and another tech forum counts. No, I don't use social media. Never had a use for it. I don't feel the need to update everyone with every inane detail of my life. Nor am I interested in their inane details. Face to face conversations are much more meaningful. You get what is more relevant to their lives not a picture of some bar or meal they are eating.

It just seems odd seeing people constantly pulling out their phone for some social media fix rather than living in the moment while hanging out with friends. I just don't see what they are getting out of it.

 

[1claire]

Nowadays, I prefer using Twitter and Instagram more than Facebook.

 

[Jessica Lares]

Haven't used any of them in at least five years now. Instagram felt too monotonous with people liking posts but then never commenting, my Twitter feed had gotten very quiet, and Facebook was mostly all the people who ended up not going to college/having kids/getting married/divorced (I was only 25 then!).

I'm getting a lot of joy putting the stuff I'd have probably put up on there in notebooks, so I don't regret it.

 

[Apple fanboy]

After reading another thread about smartphone device use, the conversation lead towards Social Media use.

With that, I am curious if anyone simply does not use Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etcetera)?
If yes, any particular reason why?

I have stayed off Twitter and Instagram, for about 5-6 months now. And, I have been seriously considering just deleting my accounts.

Anyway, merely conversing here...

Never joined any of them.
They haven’t ever appealed to me.
I value my privacy.
Plus tbh with the work hours I do, I don’t have the time.

 

[44267547]

After reading another thread about smartphone device use, the conversation lead towards Social Media use.

With that, I am curious if anyone simply does not use Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etcetera)?
If yes, any particular reason why?

I have stayed off Twitter and Instagram, for about 5-6 months now. And, I have been seriously considering just deleting my accounts.

Anyway, merely conversing here...

I read you tagged me in the other thread, so I will reply here.

I generally have never had any interest with social media whatsoever. To me, I think social media is abused in a lot of ways where others have ill-intent to use it for purposes that I’m genuinely not interested in. Macrumors is The _only_ online account that I actually have regarding any type of external discussion. (Also, my employer restricts me from having any social media accounts-I.e Facebook, Twitter, ect.)

 

[eyoungren]

I used to be on Facebook. But with the 2016 US presidential elections things started to become an echo chamber. A lot of vocal and strident opinions one way or the other. It became isolating, blocking all that out.

So, rather than alienate my extended family and group of friends I left. I found a link to delete my FB account (after using a Firefox extension to delete years worth of content from my wall) and that was it. Been about two years now.

Was never really active on Twitter, so closed that at that time too. But, turns out to deal with T-Force (online customer support for T-Mobile) I have to have a Twitter account. So, I created a new one specifically for that and I never use it unless I need to contact T-Force.

I maintain an online presence in the forums I am involved in however.
[doublepost=1552477410][/doublepost]

I value my privacy.

I hear this a lot. My 76 year old mom is very much in this vein and has no online presence - except she's on FB so she can communicate with family and former students (she was a teacher for over 40 years).

I do not mean to be rude, but if this was true you would not be posting here or on any other online forums. Granted, forums such as this do not invade privacy like FB or other social platforms, but I would bet that if you gathered info from people who have interacted the most with you online you would find an uncomfortable violation of your privacy.

The difference is trust.

Plus tbh with the work hours I do, I don’t have the time.

Again, not meaning to be rude…but you are posting here. Obviously you have the time for that. You are making a choice, which is fine, but shouldn't be excused. If FB or Twiter or whatever didn't offend in some way and offered you something of value - you'd use it.

 

[Gutwrench]

I’m with @velocityg4 - if posting on MR doesn’t count then I don’t use social media at all. I’ve never signed up for FB, Instagram, Twitter, or any of them.

It kinda makes sense though; I have no friends and I pretty much hate everyone. No exceptions.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I used to be on Facebook. But with the 2016 US presidential elections things started to become an echo chamber. A lot of vocal and strident opinions one way or the other. It became isolating, blocking all that out.

So, rather than alienate my extended family and group of friends I left. I found a link to delete my FB account (after using a Firefox extension to delete years worth of content from my wall) and that was it. Been about two years now.

Was never really active on Twitter, so closed that at that time too. But, turns out to deal with T-Force (online customer support for T-Mobile) I have to have a Twitter account. So, I created a new one specifically for that and I never use it unless I need to contact T-Force.

I maintain an online presence in the forums I am involved in however.
[doublepost=1552477410][/doublepost]
I hear this a lot. My 76 year old mom is very much in this vein and has no online presence - except she's on FB so she can communicate with family and former students (she was a teacher for over 40 years).

I do not mean to be rude, but if this was true you would not be posting here or on any other online forums. Granted, forums such as this do not invade privacy like FB or other social platforms, but I would bet that if you gathered info from people who have interacted the most with you online you would find an uncomfortable violation of your privacy.

The difference is trust.


Again, not meaning to be rude…but you are posting here. Obviously you have the time for that. You are making a choice, which is fine, but shouldn't be excused. If FB or Twiter or whatever didn't offend in some way and offered you something of value - you'd use it.

No offence taken, but I think most of MR knows very little about my private life compared to being on FB.
For example Apple fanboy isn’t my real name!

 

[Akrapovic]

I have a Facebook account. I check it every-so-often but I never posted. I had Twitter and Instagram but they could be dead accounts for all I know. Don't have anything else. I became happier, with less anxiety issues when I left social media. Not sure why.

I do have WhatsApp, which I use a lot. But I don't think messaging friends really counts the same way as FB or Twitter.
[doublepost=1552481672][/doublepost]

No offence taken, but I think most of MR knows very little about my private life compared to being on FB.
For example Apple fanboy isn’t my real name!

I agree that MR (or any forum) is totally different to Facebook. Assuming you use a real name on Facebook, and a phone app which does its best to track location, match it to possible family and friends members, tracks websites etc. It's extremely easy for Facebook to know a lot about you. Discussion forums don't tend to have that. And providing you've used a sensible username that nobody can trace back to you, nobody will ever know. If you Google my name you'll probably find me on a few other forums, but it might be hard due to it being a brand. But "Apple fanboy" will not be traceable to John Smith in Birmingham.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I’m with @velocityg4 - if posting on MR doesn’t count then I don’t use social media at all. I’ve never signed up for FB, Instagram, Twitter, or any of them.

It kinda makes sense though; I have no friends and I pretty much hate everyone. No exceptions.

Agreed! Except for Mrs AFB. She’s lovely!

 

[arkitect]

No offence taken, but I think most of MR knows very little about my private life compared to being on FB.
For example Apple fanboy isn’t my real name!

You don't say! And there I was thinking… Hmmm.

 

[Apple fanboy]

You don't say! And there I was thinking… Hmmm.

It was Windows fanboy but I changed it!

 

[0388631]

Poo on a mouse car...

 

[yaxomoxay]

After reading another thread about smartphone device use, the conversation lead towards Social Media use.

With that, I am curious if anyone simply does not use Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etcetera)?
If yes, any particular reason why?

I have stayed off Twitter and Instagram, for about 5-6 months now. And, I have been seriously considering just deleting my accounts.

Anyway, merely conversing here...

Started the Digital Minimalism thing back in January of last year, started being very serious about it in January of this year.
I do use social media (mainly FB, Instagram), but I do it on my terms (as much as possible). I have no social media app on my phone - except for Goodreads which is more a database than a social media site. I use social media about twice a week, Wednesday and Saturday. How? Either on my laptop or by installing the apps on my phone (I will uninstall them after the use). I usually post on those days.
Things I noticed:

• I really do not need to check social media on a daily basis.
• I am way more relaxed
• While bored I enjoy doing things that I used to do before the advent of smartphones (people watching, just thinking, scribbling etc.)
• I enjoy real-life more, there is lots to see
• My in-person interactions have increased.
• I am more focused at work and at home.

 

[SDColorado]

I have accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, LinkedIn (that’s still Social Media right?) but I rarely ever use them. The main reason for the rare use is I just don’t find them interesting for the most part. But I do enjoy browsing Instagram from time to time , there are some users and sites who post stunning photos.

 

[circatee]

@eyoungren was talking about needing to have/use Twitter for T-Mobile support (T-Force). That would frustrate me.
In other words, T-Mobile are saying everyone has to use social media to obtain support. To me they, T-Mobile, should offer a choice...

 

[yaxomoxay]

I have accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, LinkedIn (that’s still Social Media right?) but I rarely ever use them. The main reason for the rare use is I just don’t find them interesting for the most part. But I do enjoy browsing Instagram from time to time , there are some users and sites who post stunning photos.

I added a gazillion of so-called "Instamodels" back then.
Granted, they are quite hot but it has become quite boring to see at all the images that are all virtually identical one another.

 

[SDColorado]

I added a gazillion of so-called "Instamodels" back then.
Granted, they are quite hot but it has become quite boring to see at all the images that are all virtually identical one another.

Not sure what Instamodels even are. Was talking more about landscapes, architecture, travel photography, etc

 

[yaxomoxay]

Not sure what Instamodels even are. Was talking more about landscapes, architecture, travel photography, etc

Hot girls/ladies (*) with the landscapes, architecture, travel stuff you talk about as background

(*) at times so heavy photoshopped that not even @AngerDanger , most pictures are filtered and such.

 

[SDColorado]

Hot girls (*) with the landscapes, architecture, travel stuff you talk about as background

(*) at times so heavy photoshopped that not even @AngerDanger , most pictures are filtered and such.

Gotcha. I don’t subscribe to any of those, but yeah, sounds like they are photoshopped to obscurity

 

[yaxomoxay]

Gotcha. I don’t subscribe to any of those

The problem is that if you look at the comments and list of subscribers you'll notice many young women. At times they are the majority. I honestly don't think that in the long run it's healthy for teen girls to grow up with an overwhelming push towards an impossible level perfection that doesn't exists in real life.

 

[SDColorado]

The problem is that if you look at the comments and list of subscribers you'll notice many young women. At times they are the majority. I honestly don't think that in the long run it's healthy for teen girls to grow up with an overwhelming push towards an impossible level perfection that doesn't exists in real life.

I would definitely agree with you on that. I guess I am a bit shocked that “social media influencer” is actually a thing that people aim to achieve as well.

Probably the closest thing I subscribe to in terms of Instamodels on Instagram is a little ADV motorcycle porn like this ....

 

[Matz]

The only social media venue I use (unless MR and one other forum count) is LinkedIn. And I’m rethinking my continued, albeit minimal, use of that. Social media doesn’t seem to add much value, for me.