I am not on FB. BUT, I am on different groups and individual on WhatsApp. So I am connected to everyone at all times.

Also, we have a very large social circle and have rules of engagements that we don't break (ie, reciprocity is big deal). So I am still super busy and connected with everyone.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have an account on LinkedIn, but I never post and almost never read either. It’s basically just an online resume and professional Rolodex for me. Never joined Facebook or twitter or anything else.

I was forced to join LinkedIn years ago for a job. I never check it and when I do, it’s basically the professional version of Facebook with people posting stupid memes or bragging about their new job. Like who gives a shit.

"So very honored and humbled to have been invited to participate in the recent blah blah blah"

Anonymous wrote:I have no idea what you find difficult on social media, but on IG, I've taken about 8 art classes, joined a couple art communities, shared my work, learned how to repair a chair, engaged in history webinars, have a whole collection of recipes, and I can see pictures of my friend's trip to Morocco.

Virtue signaling? You mean my group that fights for gun legislation?

I think virtue signaling is when people announce that they are "leaving" social media, that they think they are so much more elevated, and then 100% of the time return within months. Yep- or still lurk. Lol

Difficult? You are right about you having no idea.

Start here:

https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/instagram-taking-its-toll-on-teen-girls-mental-health-report/2582713/?amp=1

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/01/business/instagram-suicide-ruling-britain.html

Next go here:

Anonymous wrote:I have no idea what you find difficult on social media, but on IG, I've taken about 8 art classes, joined a couple art communities, shared my work, learned how to repair a chair, engaged in history webinars, have a whole collection of recipes, and I can see pictures of my friend's trip to Morocco.

Virtue signaling? You mean my group that fights for gun legislation?

I think virtue signaling is when people announce that they are "leaving" social media, that they think they are so much more elevated, and then 100% of the time return within months. Yep- or still lurk. Lol

No I mean when people constantly post about their do-gooding and seek approval and validation for it. You can do these things like a normal person without live-blogging it or looking for likes for it or worse, using it for careerism and self-promotion.

I have no idea what you find difficult on social media, but on IG, I've taken about 8 art classes, joined a couple art communities, shared my work, learned how to repair a chair, engaged in history webinars, have a whole collection of recipes, and I can see pictures of my friend's trip to Morocco.

Virtue signaling? You mean my group that fights for gun legislation?

I think virtue signaling is when people announce that they are "leaving" social media, that they think they are so much more elevated, and then 100% of the time return within months. Yep- or still lurk. Lol

Quit everything except instagram year and years ago.
I did not find anything all that fascinating on facebook. It was good right after college to see where some folks ended up but then stopped.
Twitter seemed very very antagonistic to me. Everyone seemed angry and it was much more volatile.

Anonymous wrote:Social media is a timesuck and pathetic tbh. I think less of people who are in it a lot. . .

The worst is people who turn to social media for validation and self promotion/ virtue signaling. Huge turnoff.

Don’t something like 90% of FaceBook users turn to it for validation and virtue signaling?

I simply cannot be around these people, and I have warned my kids to stay away from that type of person.

Social media is a timesuck and pathetic tbh. I think less of people who are in it a lot unless they have some kind of funny ironic persona.

I only have FB and hardly check it anymore. Never had anything else.

It’s like a giant sign that says you’re happy to let people gather your data for free, no thanks. Also, after a certain point/age, you should have a job and/or real life social profile for which being on social would be inappropriate. I only use it to work for me: crowdsourcing if I have a question, posting something brief and funny. Now that my kids are older I seldom post them bc that’s their privacy to decide.

The worst is people who turn to social media for validation and self promotion/ virtue signaling. Huge turnoff.

Anonymous wrote:Same OP. I think quitting FB was the best choice for my mental health but I definitely feel disconnected from people. In particular, it means I’ve totally lost touch with people from my past— high school friends, old colleagues, etc.

But I don’t even maintain a FB account for marketplace or groups. I know if I did, I would wind up using it to look people up and get sucked in somehow. That’s why I quit— it was a time suck and made me too focused on what other people were up to, instead of just minding my own business.

These are the main reasons I deleted my FB account. I also had some concerns about privacy. One year out, I wish I had deleted FB sooner instead of hanging on for the school updates. It was a significant life improvement, and I wasn't even a heavy poster. Life is more peaceful, and when I knew my account was fully deleted after the 30 day "you can still reverse your decision" window, it felt like a great weight was lifted from me that I didn't even realize i was carrying. I even have the spare time now to read books for fun again.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Newsflash - DCUM is social media

Perhaps.

But unlike TikTok, Insta, etc., this site does not employ a predatory algorithm driven by AI and designed to lead to dependence (aka addiction).

Here's the thing - your email, your TV streaming, and your phone also employs an algorithm. Your buying habits, your credit cards, your investments. Your job is to manage it not be a victim of it. You aren't a 13 year old who will starve yourself by getting anorexia ads. You might buy stuff you didn't need, but that's on you. You are in control.

Anonymous wrote:This is a forum. Not social media.
Never had it. Never will.
I always found it creepy how so many people put their whole lives up on a screen for every person to stalk you.
If I wanted the world to see my life I'd leave my front door open.
I missed out on nothing.

No, this is actually social media. It's interactive and online.

What everyone does ,posts, etc., on social media will always be a personal preference as is what everyone enjoys seeing. However, social media and community and commercial engagement isn't going away. It's connected to most people, most businesses, most organizations. It's education, local news and national news, grassroots groups, volunteer communities, hobbies, and even livelihoods. Your kid's school has a sm presence as does the scout troop, the book club, college, the art class, the church, the bakery or any store you use- literally everything.
I have neighbors, a little older, but not elderly, who claim to have opted out because they think FB is evil but they miss out on massive amounts of information that would inform a lot of decisions re: school board elections, HOA goings on, and the fact that our neighbor's son was hospitalized and are annoyed that they are the last to know. Many people have gone out of their way to provide details of necessary pieces of info they may need to know such as a planned water turn off, an event, or a petition going around.

I think the concerns about privacy are long gone considering all the information anything one consumes gives that away, our phones, accounts, credit cards. It's not about using it or not using it, it's about learning how to use it wisely.

Anonymous wrote:This is a forum. Not social media.
Never had it. Never will.
I always found it creepy how so many people put their whole lives up on a screen for every person to stalk you.
If I wanted the world to see my life I'd leave my front door open.
I missed out on nothing.

But you don't actually know what you have missed out on, right? I mean, you have missed out on knowledge or connections, etc., but you aren't aware of this.

Anonymous wrote:I have no prob being off social media -
None. I'm also age 50 though.

I also don't text the way everyone does - excessively, buts and pieces, commenting about things. When I do things with people I interact. I have 2-3 old friends I can call to talk. But that's it - nobody seems to think it's normal to call and talk which saddens me. I hate texting.

The whole texting and social media thing is what's driving society insane. People could've happier refraining and going back to conversations. It's unnatural to type your feelings all the time!

+1 to all of this. I’m in my early 50s. I also think that parents who chronicle every minute of their children’s lives from the time they are in the womb are morons. Can you imagine growing up and having fifteen years of your daily life available on the internet for public consumption?

This is a forum. Not social media.
Never had it. Never will.
I always found it creepy how so many people put their whole lives up on a screen for every person to stalk you.
If I wanted the world to see my life I'd leave my front door open.
I missed out on nothing.