AIBU to think there are benefits to not being on social media?

[Mcbj86]

Just that really.

What are the benefits (if any) of not using social media.

Personal experiences welcome

I don't count MN as social media. Isn't that more being yourself and putting photos up?

I am not on FB/Instagram/Twitter because I don't think anyone would be all that interested.

@Sparklingbrook

Whether you define mn as social media or not is irrelevant. Mn is social media whether you like it or not.

Social media refers to websites and applications that are designed to allow people to share content quickly, efficiently, and in real-time.

To those who said 'privacy' - I have SM but I am still private? I don't post banal attention seeking posts nor braggy look at me posts

i could live without it for sure but I don't think 'privacy' per se is down to if you have SM or not - just how you use it

That's me told.

I am not sharing 'content' though just random ponderings mainly. I would class 'content' as pictures of stuff personal to me under my real name that people would know me by. To me, MN an anonymous Talk Forum.

Did anyone hear the report on radio 4 about the election campaign on social media? Facebook supply all the data and feedback, and you will be selectively targetted depending all all the lovely free data you supply. We should be able to choose which political adverts we are willing to look at. Social media is use and abuse, and now politicians are leving the job due to the anonymous abuse and trolling they get

Facebook is in no way a private talk forum. You are supplying inf to a tech giant

I only have Instagram and use it sparingly nowadays. I never really liked Facebook so haven’t been on there for years and I dropped Twitter a few years ago too. It only affects your self esteem if you let it, just deactivate your accounts and delete the apps.

I am not sharing 'content' thoughjust random ponderings mainly. I would class 'content' as pictures of stuff personal to me under my real name that people would know me by. To me, MN an anonymous Talk Forum.

• facepalm *

DH is retired and uses Facebook to reconnect with people all over the world with whom he's lost contact. He gets involved in conversations with friends of friends, it's a vertical pub without the booze. He would post his whole life on it if I let him

I don't use it at all, other than MN. I rather like being invisible and anonymous to strangers.

Sanity!!!!!

I came off social media at the beginning of this year. It’s amazing. People were constantly having a go at each other. I’d feel upset if friends had gone out and not invited me. People were always trying to outdo each other

People either paint a picture of pure bliss in life. Or constant shite. I’d spend hours and hours on there. Wasting life away. My husband has never been on.

The ONLY thing I miss. Is events. EVERYTHING is on Facebook now

Other than that. Don’t miss it one bit. It’s brilliant!!

*virtual not vertical!

I have a month off every now and then but still keep it open.
I like that I can stay in touch with people but don’t like that it becomes the only way to stay in touch. It makes you too available and unavailable at the same time.

It really depends how you use it..

Facebook is what you make it - if you are friends with the sorts of people who only share badly spelled memes and pictures of their dinners, then that is what it will be.

My Facebook is filled with posts from groups on interesting subjects and subjects related to my work. I don't have banal friends who post total tripe and if I accidentally add someone who does that I unfollow or unfriend if its really irritating.

I also use twitter and instagram again, mostly work related stuff, but most of my work comes via Facebook so coming off it would not benefit me in the slightest!

I don't use social media, except MN if that qualifies. Facebook and all the others seem to be a time-consuming plague.

I use
Phone calls
Text messaging
Email

and they do all I need, with grouped addresses when I want to contact several people at once.
I'm sure I'm not missing out.

I have never felt more lonely than when I was on social media. I was depressed comparing my life to everyone else’s (fake) life. I’m so so glad I got rid

I also think that whilst MN may be classed as social media it isn't the same as FB or IG.

Whilst on here I can have a discussion with people I'll probably never know who probably will never know me. I only occasionally see a photo (a few more diagrams which especially when on a parking thread are excellent).

On IG and FB followers/friends are know to me and we exchange photos.

I really do think they're different

I totally agree with you @HowlinProwlin. None of my friends in RL or on social media are self obsessed arseholes.

MN is the only social media that I use.
I don’t have Twitter, FAKEBOOK , Instagram, snapchat etc.
I

@Keepmewarm. “ I like that I can stay in touch with people but don’t like that it becomes the only way to stay in touch. It makes you too available and unavailable at the same time.”

I don’t really understand this. If someone needs you, I’m guessing they have your phone number?

I have social media. I couldn't really do my job without it, especially Facebook. This does mean though that I don't tend to share much on there, just a few harmless but funny memes and posts.
I have instagram which I use when I remember but that's very closed and I'm very particular who can follow me.

It's a tool...and like all tools, depending how you use it depends what result you get.

I use MN, and a political discussion board (and the comments section of the DT), but that is it. Am not on FB, Twitter or Instawhotsit.

Due to dh's employment, social media is not advised, so we have never gone down that route, and see no need to now. Dh is looking forward to getting shot of the smart phone provided by his employer and having a dumb phone when he retires in December. I've never had a smart phone anyway...ds has one, and cannot go 30 seconds without looking at the damn thing. Amazes me how he managed to concentrate long enough to get a BA and an MA.

As there is no phone signal in DD's room at university I am thankful that we are able to stay in contact via Messenger.

You know you can use Messenger without a Facebook account. It just needs a phone number.

@Bluesheep8 I'm glad you mentioned diaries. This debate is interesting because it reminds me of a childhood beef I used to have - I resented being made to write about things I did, such as school trips, or holidays, and my mum used to make me write diaries, especially on holiday, or after a day out. I disliked this, as it felt like doing schoolwork when I could be relaxing and enjoying myself; it also meant that I had to remember what happened in enough detail to be able to write about it. Why were nice things always spoiled by having to write about them, why not just live them, and enjoy them? My mum's argument was that I could show it to someone else, or look back on it. Not unlike the argument for social media.

On the other hand, although my parents loved taking photos and putting them in albums, they flatly refused to get a video camera, saying that is was far more effort to watch videos than to look at photos, and that nobody else would be interested in seeing them.