To think I can live my life without FaceAche, SnapCrap, Twatter etc?

[Salmotrutta]

I'm really wondering!?

I go into work blissfully unaware of the FaceAche stuff and have to actually converse with people who have shared all sorts of shite the minutiae of their life on FaceAche.

I then have no idea what they are on about.

But frankly it's usually a lot of pish anyway - but it's not very inclusive IFYSWIM?

Other colleagues come in and do all the "Ooh, I saw your photo, blah, blah blah" and I'm standing there saying "What are you talking about?" in a grumpy tone.

You actually have to converse with people you say?

But you're on MN......

I'm not on any of those. My life is too humdrum to be lived second hand by others.

Thank you Ellisandra for responding.

You're right - it's probably the casual chat stuff I'm not so good at!

Maybe I'm a bit too earnest!

Salmo yeah I'm not a natural people person!

I think it's one reason why Facebook is so popular. Plenty of people like us who don't find casual chit chat easy - and Facebook can be quite a narrow and structured way to interact, which can be useful.

I want to make friendly chat at the school gate but not always sure how to start it... Facebook means I can say "saw you were away in your caravan at the weekend again - where did you get to?"
Cue 5 minute chat that's more interesting for both of us than "nice weather we're having"

I like FB as I can keep up with friends and family around the world. Luckily, most of them aren't prolific posters and certainly don't post pics of what they're eating or other annoying things.

I've joined a few groups relating to things I'm interested in and have made friends, some of whom I've gone on to meet in real life, including MNetters, which is lovely! It's great to have the opportunity to be enthusiastic about something (Radio prog, tv show or books) that your actual friends/family are completely uninterested in!

I like books, film, theatre so I like seeing stuff about them come up on my feed. I have a clean-up every now and again and unfollow people/groups of appropriate.

Well no, yanbu, but what you're actually doing is chuntering about SM on SM.

So that's OK if you keep MN completely separate from real life, are confident no one on here would ever recognise you from your postings & would never, for example, go for a pint with someone you'd met chatting on here. All good.

I find things like whatsapp more important these days. There's one person in our group of colleagues /mates who has a brick phone, & unless I consciously remember to email her she misses out on casual 'shall we have a few drinks in x' s garden after work? ' type arrangements.

I don't enjoy casual chat at all
it's one of the reasons why Twitter has been so good for me - forming a group of people who want to discuss specific things, and we are never bothering each other because we only see the points and respond when it's convenient.

I actually meet them in real life now and they're lovely.

if you are feeling awkward at work, have a ponder and ask yourself if you want to form better social connections at work. When you think it over you might decide you're not bothered. It can be hard when you spend so much time there, but overall I've found it easier to smile, make the small talk and not get involved otherwise. I work at home a fair bit though so luckily not too a big a problem to have anyone I don't like.

Of course you can if you want to

No real need for the sneery nature of the title

It makes me cringe when people use other words for social media portals as you have in your title.

It makes people sound really immature.

Of course you can. It's not compulsory.

But, like it or not, it's how a lot of people live now. So, yes you might miss out on chit chat and feel a bit isolated.

Your choice.

Ffs. Are you 12? Face ache, Twatter. .. you're the one that sounds like a Twatter actually call them by such fucking ridiculous names.

You say you're not sneering at the idea of social media or smug about not using it. Reread the title of your thread.

another who can't abide the sneering at social media....particularly whilst posting on social media!

use it or don't use it, but you can't complain about being excluded then be sneering about those that use it.

Plenty of stuff on facebook drives me up the wall but I unfollow, or scroll past, or block, or whatever.

The benefits of SM outweigh the downsides as far as I'm concerned.

If you don't want to use FB then you shouldn't. Most of my colleagues converse on twitter , fb and the like. These conversations often leak through to the staffroom table. As a non - user I'm completely unbothered by it and simply ask to see the post/pic they are discussing if I'm invited to join the conversation.

I'm real not keen on most social media but my pov isn't the only valid one.

I'll reiterate my apology from upthread.

It was an ill-thought post.

Props to you OP
it's a rare poster who says "I was wrong".
hope you manage to feel more comfortable with things.

I don't think there's any need to apologise. You aired your views on aibu, you mostly were told ywbu, there's nothing wrong with that.

I think the key point really is that you can't expect people to change their behaviour because you don't like SM. Engage or don't engage, then be prepared for the consequences.

And slagging the platforms off, as you did in the title, doesn't help you make your case. But again, nothing particularly wrong with doing it, it just that it informs people's response.

YANBU.

And do not apologize for how you feel. I second you entirely.

I find it much much much easier to converse on social media. In real life I suck, can’t do it at all. Social media has given me friends and other people to share interests, it’s been great for me. But it doesn’t suit everyone. I’m also nosy so I love it!

I would suggest dipping into Social Media - well you have already with MN - on your own terms.

I do Facebook and Twitter but haven't bothered with Instagram, SnapChat etc but totally understand why others would.

It may be worth starting with Twitter as there is no need to befriend anybody (like on FB) - you just follow who you want to and there is no pressure to post anything yourself.

That way you can follow people/companies/media who talk about things that specifically interest you. You can unfollow people the moment you find them boring.

If, for example, you like a certain sport, then start off following newspapers, writers who cover that sport. They will put up links, photos and videos which you may want to look into. Do things just to suit you.

I don't know why people have social media and then moan about it - it's only what you get it to do..

It doesn't matter what your colleagues talk about - only get involved if it is on a topic which interests you.

We have some people in our office who don't 'do' social media. It's not surprising that they were also the same people who refused to get mobile phones !