Social media - what do you still use it for?

[Orangeinmybluelightcup]

I still use Facebook and Instagram quite a lot, should I cut it out?! I feel like it's a bit 'sad' now but also think I would miss it.

On facebook, I still share family photos to a list of friends (not my full friends list). I follow and interact with some interest groups and local brands. But hardly anyone I know uses it this way now, only a handful of friends share family pics etc. I'm almost the last one standing. So in a backfired bid to cut down on Facebook, I got Instagram. I started off using it for my more quality photographs. But then morphed it into a visual diary of the kids growing up etc. I tend to follow people but not allow people to follow me back. I don't know really why I still do either but I guess after 10+ yrs of all this it's really quite engrained?!

How do others use social media and do you have these back and fourths whether to cut it out?!

I'm sure I check both repeatedly all through the day to the point of I have to shut my phone in another room.

I only use Facebook and I scroll pointlessly. I would get rid of it altogether but it the only platform for advertising my business.

I use Facebook for a hobby and nothing else - all info about the hobby and group is there and nowhere else. Instagram as a visual diary. LinkedIn for work. Nothing else.

Nothing. And I never have. I occasionally come across a potentially interesting business that only has Facebook - so I find another one that has a website.

I think this thread is going to confirm that I'm a sad act eh!
What i would really like is to reduce my use without having to get rid, but I don't seem to have the self control!

I like Facebook and I use it to keep in touch with people I probably wouldn't keep in touch with otherwise. Don't have any angst about it and keep the friends list small.

Don't use any other SM.

Facebook-three groups. Gardening and two medical ones. Occasionally share a news story, not sure why I feel like I'm public service to my friends 😂.

Instagram-share ocasional aesthetically pleasing photos that make me smile.

Twitter- nothing unless someone references something in the news that went mad on Twitter.

You Tube- five minutes watching videos of cats and babies, soldiers reunited, dogs looking guilty, uplifting speeches when I am feeling bereft at humanity.

Whatsapp-1.1 chats or very small group chats.

Facebook:
Keeping in touch
Marketplace buying and selling
Local group
Girl guides
Trade union and activism
Hobby help
Autism support

Instagram
Not much - looking at pretty pictures

Mn
Company

Twitter
Activism
Dad jokes
Current affairs

I love not being on Facebook or on anything like Instagram. I never tried Insta. I was on Facebook for about 6 years until 2 years ago. I avoid many negative emotions associated with it such as feeling like I'm missing out, feeling others are succeeding inide more than me ( it's all an illusion but still gets you some times), feeling frustrated with the falseness of people, feeling sad that people need validation from others ( me included ), the sense of obligation to comment or like something and then the possibile fall out for not liking something. I could go on and on.
It is such a negative tool in so many ways ,but, I see how great it can be for networking and it's highly addictive so no criticism of anyone who likes having it.

I need to create an account of some sort for work now which I don't want to do but will keep it as a simple work platform only and befriend no one I know!

Facebook is actually really useful for local networking, neighbourhood stuff, marketplace, finding local businesses, researching and planning trips meals and activities, lots of things. I use it far more for that these days than for social interaction with “friends”. It definitely has its place. I got out of the habit of posting stuff ages ago. Let’s face it, no-one really cares 😂

I’m in exactly your shoes OP. There are maybe like 4 of my friends who still post.

I do still post but always feel a bit tragic doing it. I sometimes post and change the settings to ‘Only me’ so I see my posts but no-one else does - I like the reminders in future years of what I did!

The thing I use it for most atm is being stalked by ads - we’re doing up the house, I google something I need to buy, related items follow me round fb for a few days - it’s been great - I’ve found a ton of stuff I’d have missed otherwise. 😀

I use FB all the time for special interest groups, following local businesses and organisations, local news and information, but only post the occasional picture of somewhere I've been or seen, never anything about the DCs or photos of them, most of my friends have stopped posting picture of their DCs as they've got older too. I do keep in touch with a lot of people via Fb still, either by commenting on each others posts or by messenger, but no private stuff whatsoever.

I have come off Facebook for a while. I don't miss the perfectly polished lives portrayed on there but I'm missing my community pages and hobby groups so I will go back to it.

Facebook:
Local news updates eg road closures
Local events
Selling pages
Local tradesmen

Instagram - never

Twitter - very rarely, for news updates

TikTok - Don't have it. I'm not a teenager

Snapchat - Don't have it. I'm not a teenager

Mumsnet - it speaks for itself

I use FB for the local groups the most. I really need to stop scrolling through my newsfeed as, to be honest, only about 5 people actively still post and none of them are people I am particularly close to, although I feel a bit like a stalker in that I know so much about their lives!

@womanity oh yes me to, to everything you said including doing up the house!!!

OP: how do ppl you know use Facebook? I'm intrigued.

On Facebook I...
post what I've been doing
read & "like" what F&F have been doing
read what F&F are thinking about
be happy if others are having a good time
"like" things I want to see more of
message with adult DC and others
follow several pages to do with nesting birds
get local news & gossip
give or get free stuff
Dad jokes :)
get too many irrelevant ads (I enjoy everything but the ads)

Twitter, I...
read/post breaking news, analysis, political-trade-legal-science gossip, cute animals, plus a few opinions shared to read
"like" things I want to see more of

MN: chat chat chat, plus a bit of information received

Strava, I...
post what I've been doing
read & "like" what F&F have been doing

I forget to go on Instagram

Whatsapp: I don't think I have hang of this. I only understand how to use it like FBk Messenger

I also feel a bit like I'm the last one standing on Facebook. I'm making a big effort to post less and now mostly just share missing cat posts

Deleted everything except Facebook. I use it for some groups and Messenger. I deleted most of my photos and most of my friend list, I prefer to be private these days.

I like Facebook groups plus I keep it for the messenger.

I left facebook just over a week ago. It's weird to not be mindlessly scrolling and I certainly found it useful to find things out that I wouldn't think to google. I followed a couple of local pages so saw lots of local news and information. Its also used a lot by my running group so I wonder if I'm missing much there.

Having said that it does create a lot of issues for me. Mumkins42 said it all perfectly.

I don't want to go back for the reasons as above, but not sure if I'm missing some important things. Though surely anything really important won't just be on facebook.

Don't use any other form apart from MN and that is mainly to kill a bit of time.

I’m waiting for primary school to finish (year six) then I will delete most ‘friends’ and just keep it for local sites and secondary school info. FB that is. I very, very rarely post anything, mostly just share missing cat/dog posts.

I love insta but don’t post. It’s such a time waster though! Don’t have any other social media.

A few crossed posts so just want to clarify when I say I've left facebook I chose the temporary leaving one so I can keep messenger. Don't use it a lot, but I am still in a couple of group chats.

I refuse to have friends on fb, but do use it for local news and market place and especially for getting rid of all my crap on free to you.

Mn, I'm on here far too much.