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?!

Facebook I had since it first came out, early 2000s, I was working abroad so was a great way to keep in touch, as time went on and more and more people joined it I got sick of the attention seeking, photos of people’s dinner or baby scan pics, I deactivated it, I lasted a couple of weeks and was back. A month later I deactivated it again never to go back, this must be knocking 10 years now. I do however have a work Facebook I begrudgingly opened as I have to post in our work closed group
Twitter I loved for years, made friends from it. I use it differently now, there used to be a lot more chat, now it’s often arguments about politics but still funny posts and great to see what’s going on locally and in the world
Insta I have but don’t post as much as friends do but nice to see what friends are doing (as I’m not on Facebook)
TikTok is my lockdown guilty pleasure, watching not posting! Too self conscious
Mumsnet is another guilty pleasure, it’s easy to find you wasted/lost an hour with!
I spend a lot more time than I’d like on my phone really

Dont use facebook that much check it once twice a day, for info about my DD dance school.

Insta I love post lots of pics of DC on my story but just to 'close friends' it's there for 24 hours then gone I follow ppl who do the same love seeing what they are up to and gives me ideas for myself. Also follow local small business's for information about their products a services.

Twitter for news and opinions to do with news

I use Facebook to communicate with people. I don’t really have much face to face interaction with people, even before Covid.

FB I check everyday but don't post much.

Twitter I hate and rarely check

Tikitok I watch everyday - it is definitely not just for teenagers, I love it!

Insta is a shite version of Tiktok so I rarely use it

I use it still OP. I have so many photos for so long on there that it's almost like a scrapbook now that I think if I stop then I'm going to miss out on prolonged memories almost. Definitely a slight addiction scrolling through.

Tiktok not tikitok!

Facebook - I post very occasionally, either boring people with my holiday photos (hey, they don't have to look!) or, slightly more frequently, posting a funny cat photo or a photo of something of interest, mainly weather or nature related. Hardly any of my newsfeed consists of posts from actual friends or family anymore. I guess I should give it up, but then, who would see my holiday photos?

I also use Messenger to message my children and some friends.

Instagram - I just follow a few public figures. Just to be nosey.

WhatsApp - I message my family occasionally, or send photos to people as it is easier than texting.

That's it.

That's interesting @Mumkins42 and @OrangeBananaFish - I've heard people say the same sorts of things but never felt that way about it myself. I don't see many posts that are perfect life bragging. I suppose people mostly post nice things so it could come across that way if someone's in a bad place. I wonder if I come across that way.

I don’t.

I closed my Facebook profile, I never joined Instagram and I don’t tweet or tiktok, (if that’s even a verb). I do have a WhatsApp account, but I very rarely use it. I don’t do ‘group chat’.

MN is the nearest thing I get to SM, and my account isn’t linked to my real identity. I’m also ‘selective’ about what aspects of my real life I mention here.

I still use facebook and post every few days, normally with a photo I've taken or image I've created.

I'm on a few photography groups on there so use it a lot for that.

I have a Flickr account but never use it now because uploading and tagging everything is a nightmare!

I have no other sm accounts apart from this.

Looking at my Facebook, I've posted 5 times in the last year. I mainly use it to know what's going on in my area, for networking in the job I'm in, as well as to follow and book appointments at hairdressers, restaurants, beauty therapists. Occasionally I will re-share posts if they're to promote a couple of my close friends' businesses.

Every now and then I might re-post an old picture, but this happens about once a year.

I live in the Lake District so most of my Instagram posts are from walks I've done. I don't really have many followers so it's more like a personal photo album for me, as well as somewhere I can follow places/businesses of interest.

A couple of my friends still share many aspects of their life and while I obviously don't judge them for it, I do wonder how they manage to avoid the anxiety that I used to get when I did that!

I use it to find local businesses, for buying stuff second hand, hobby groups and neighbourhood 'news'. I created my account solely for this purpose and have no 'friends' on FB.

Facebook:
Keep in touch with my family, learn all the small things that you wouldn't normally hear about and general chit chat.
Follow local groups, newspaper, a jammer page which is mainly traffic, a debate group, a couple of groups related to my job and local businesses.

Twitter:
Mainly autism support and some political stuff.

Instagram:
Joined, followed a few people and never post myself and almost never check it.

I'm thinking of joining tik tok since I've liked a few videos I've seen but I expect I'd end up spend hours mindlessly scrolling.

I use facebook pretty much just for Messenger, Marketplace and occasionally I will share an update from my work page (cute animal news and stories). Also my DD"s school has a closed group for each class with regular photos and updates shared, and a school sports page.

Instagram I post a pic every couple of weeks - a sort of visual diary. Only visible to my 'close friends' list of 50ish.

Messenger. And to find tradespeople. Yesterday I used it to find a carpet fitter.

I use FB messenger and use FB for community groups, but not the actual site. I dont really like it. I suppose I use Insta a bit more as it seems a bit more relevant, but I havent actually posted anything in a very long time.

Keep in touch with family and friends who live away, and I use fb for photos as I love viewing the memories every day. Use Instagram for specific hobby related photos and I'm on Twitter but don't post much on there.

Used fb ‘properly’ about 10 years ago, now I follow about 6 people who I actually care about and even then I think some of the oversharing is cringe, I use it for messenger and for community/business groups and information. Also selling groups. I unfollowed about 200+people from various places of work/school etc as it’s awkward to unfriend etc etc but now I’m beginning to think they probably don’t follow me either as I don’t post anything anymore so maybe we should all delete each other 😂)

Insta I’ve been on less time; but will use occasionally but mostly to send funny posts etc. I don’t follow any celebs or “influencers” I can’t understand why anyone would spend the time to sit and watch 55 insta story videos of these people talking shit or selling every few hours.

Don’t have Twitter.

Don’t have tiktok as I thought it was for 13 year olds and I lose interest in videos after 0.0004 seconds.

I have Snapchat still as some friends use this instead of messenger.

Don’t know what strava or flikr (mentioned in other posts) are 😂😂.

Facebook used for: marketplace, groups I run, keeping vaguely in touch with some people (I'll invite people to an event sometimes), local community groups.

Hardly ever post on my wall (of they still call it that??) but do use it.

Facebook - literally just groups- I live overseas and press not very "balanced" so I find out what's happening through FB groups. I don't think I've posted for about 5 years

Instagram - mainly book bloggers, photography and weightlifting/ Crossfit accounts. Plus some funny accounts like MBA-ish/ Teacher Misery. Have a scroll every few days. Follow and unfollow with abandon. I like the non-reciprocal nature of it. Again, v rarely post.

Strava- my watch links to it but I don't really look at it as I prefer the app linked to my watch now.

Twitter and WhatsApp are my main time sucks.

I use fb for contact with people I normally wouldn't have contact with. But yes, it got less and less and some people doesn't seem to use it anymore at all.

But, it is the platform for me to interact with local groups, DD's hobbies, I am part of some reading groups.

Messenger is good for sharing documents or links as not everyone has WhatsApp on their computer and people don't use emails for this anymore privately.

I do have Insta but purely to follow DD and ensure she is not doing anything out of her rules.

I took all social media apps from my phone when I was doing a digital detox with a friend last year. I haven't ever put them back on and haven't missed them. No-one I know posts on facebook any more, so my feed was just full of groups and ads. I will check Instagram on my computer from time to time, but not being on it has actually saved me money as I don't usually see when my favourite shops are having sales/discounts so I don't waste money on things I don't really need just because they are on sale! I do check Twitter daily, mainly for current affairs but don't post anything/retweet anything.

All in all I think I've just outgrown the need to use social media, and so have most of my friends, so I'm not missing out on anything really - I am on lots of Whatsapp groups though.

I still like FB OP! Mine is all fairly benign, people's gardens, hobbies whatever. I like it still. Can't be bothered really with Instagram. Really like WhatsApp, great for chats and love MN as anonymous.

Facebook... Local news, events etc. Keeping up with friends (all over the world). And memories... I love seeing what I was up to 15years ago and also my children as toddlers.

WhatsApp... Literally just installed as my dad was in hospital and had no phone signal but did have WiFi.

Messenger... Group chats mostly.

Instagram... Never tried it
Twitter... Similar
Mumsnet... Mindless activity.

Of all of them, I should lose Mumsnet.