People with no online presence

[exlibrisok]

After a morning of nosing around old classmates facebook pages and seeing what everyone is up to these day it got me wondering about the one or two who have no facebook and one in particular who has no online presence at all. I come from a small village and I think I am facebook friends with virtually everyone in my year at high school except one girl, who will now be 40 and a guy who does have a twitter but no facebook.

The girl is just off grid nothing comes up for her. I do know her brother and I know she went to art school in London and lives in Copenhagen now with her Danish husband. She was always a bit of a loner at school but nice. I guess I am just pretty nosey about her and wonder why she or anyoen doesn't have any social media or linkedin at all? I used to think people who didn't use social media had something to hide or that looking at other peoples lives just made them depressed but it sounds like she has done well for herself and I find it a bit sad she doesn't keep in touch with the old country!

I know a lot of people do give social media up if they find it overwhelming or depressing and some just don't care. This isn't meant to be judgmental I'm just curious about why people don't do social media, especially if they have normal or successful lives?

Well I had a horrible time at high school so there's no way I'd be Facebook friends with anyone from there and I'm not on any other social media.

Exactly, I wouldn’t want anyone to know that I exist. Prefer to be invisible

For me personally, I don't want to share the details of my life with people I used to know (a long time ago, or only in passing). I keep up with the friends that I want to keep up with, same for family.

I'm not hiding anything, it's no one's right to know what's happening in my life. And frankly I think it would be massively egotistical to think that anyone/everyone else is interested in my life or my opinions - I hate how the Internet has enabled people to overshare, to be able to so freely express their opinions often without thought of the consequences.

I have no social media at all. I have zero interest in it and struggle to understand the appeal.

Ex journalists...

And here I am espousing my opinion, albeit anonymously, on the Internet

I have an old FB account that I haven't touched for years. I really can't be arsed with it much, but do occasionally use FB Messenger to speak with my sister.

I only set up a Twitter account because my DD3 was going on a school trip to South Africa and there would be updates and photographs via the school Twitter account.

I can honestly see why some people don't bother with social media.

That said though, just because you can't find her doesn't necessarily mean that she isn't there. Not everyone uses there own name. She could be using an assumed name or alias. There can obviously be a variety of reasons for doing that.

I don't do social media and I work very hard to ensure that I have no digital footprint and as low a data footprint as possible. I also have no loyalty cards, don't give my telephone no, email address or address/postcode out unless I absolutely have to and even then, I have different emails for different purposes.

I see no need to give access to my personal details so companies can data mine or profile me, nor have people I went to school with see my fat arse / me clinking glasses, on holiday. I can't say I have missed out on life by not being on SM: arguably the opposite as I actually do things and meet friends and enjoy the experience, rather than constantly tweeting about doing things and meeting friends and waiting for the likes about the doing and the meeting. Which looks exhausting.

Social media is often weird from what I can see. Weirdest of all are those people who record and post concerts. Why not just have an actual real live experience, in the moment. Why pay for a live experience when you spend your time recording it on a tiny screen? Mental.

If I want to keep in touch with someone I do. I don't care what their cat looks like.

Is this not the reason alot of people dont use their real name. So randomers from the past/potential employers/nosey people etc cant look them up.

Ive worked several places where they have said dont use your real name on social media as a stipulation in my contract. Not particularily jobs you would exspect it from either.

I too had a bad time at school and while I don't hold resentment towards my old classmates its better for me not to be in touch with them.

I have a perfectly nice, normal adult life by the way.

My DH has no social media presence at all. He doesn't do FB, Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp, LinkedIn or any I've forgotten. He thinks it's all a waste of time.

I have zero online presence. FB seems to be used for endless selfies and recording every detail of people's lives which to be honest I would find mind numbingly boring. I laugh when I read on here of someone having 100+ friends on FB. They obviously don't have a clue what real friendship is.

Private' people always make me laugh! It's like a form of delusion that they have something special that only they get to see.....!

I bet you are one of the people I've described above and

i dont have any social media because i cant be bothered, and im in my 20s. deleted facebook about 3-4 years ago.

im know deep down that no one really gives a shit about what im up to, or what others are up to, they just want a way to show off or get attention.

my friends who i know in real life know all about my life so it isnt like im missing out because a random girl from school doesnt get to see a picture of my dinner.

@Rockbird Totally agree with you - can't stand meeting people In Real Life, so have a social media presence. Don't want people texting / phoning / talking to me to find out how I am. Fuck that - read my FB page or fuck off! :)

God no no LinkedIn or Twitter. Pointless time wasters (for me). Twitter particularly and LinkedIn is voracious in connecting people.

No FB or Instagram under my real name. FB for a small private group and IG to find good photography.

It’s great. Freeing. Googling just brings up work.

I’ve never even heard of LinkedIn - is this a new one?

No it’s old - for work networking
Mostly tells you what your ex-colleagues are up to
Some people get job offers too

I’m more surprised people jump on it all so keenly.

Ah I see, I’ve never had a job where I needed to network and have been a SAHM for a while so no wonder that one passed me by
Thanks

I only do this RE social media. No Facebook etc ( although I had it all years ago).
I use it for my business but not personally.
I don't get why anyone would. I have real life friends .

I use a lot of social media for work but not for personal use, I have a fake Facebook page so I can manage pages but not an actual proper personal one. Just don't really see the point, I find most of social media very fake and there's better ways of keeping in contact with people.

Not online. I hang out in the same places everyday. If you want to see me/contact me, I'm really not hard to find.

I don't have a social media presence either and I'm a happier person since I deleted it. I've learnt who my friends are and being who actually give a shit rather than rubber neckers just being nosey.

The only thing I've been on was Friends Reunited and I had a very limited profile on that. The only reason for doing it was pure nosiness as to what school friends were doing now.

I don't even have a smartphone since all I need my phone for is phonecalls and texts.

I'm not a technophobe but as a previous pp said I grew up before social media was a thing so don't see it as necessary. I also don't like the idea of personal information and family photos being available to all and sundry.

I don't have FB, Twitter or Linkedin. I've also had my name and photo taken off the online staff lists at work (although traces remain from previous years if you use the right search terms which is infuriating).

It's partly to stop random stalking from possibly interested parties we are nc with and partly because the amount of angst and hot water it all seems to generate seems disproportionate to any benefit.

Im not private and i am extremely sociable however i feel no use in seeing other peoples photos on Instagram, dont need LinkedIn, facebook only for family and friends, snapchat for friends and whatsapp for work. That's it.