What do you think of social media? What do you like/hate about social media?

[Crazy Hitch]

It's a good way to interact with family / friends globally.

I tend to limit my FB use for a number of reasons, including but not limited to the fact that I don't need daily updates of what people ate for dinner, how many times they went to the gym and those endless selfies .... ughghghgh

[BlueCrustacean]

Facebook is an addiction that's not adding much value to my life... only cheapening it. I can tell it's not very valuable because of all the stimulation of different funny memes, profound quotes, political statements, etc etc, I don't remember much that sticks out. It just feels so addictive so scroll and scroll, feeling like you need to "catch up" on the rest of the world, feeling a false sense of accomplishment by doing so.

It's hard to quit Facebook. There's family, friends, networking opportunities... but then it's such a huge waste of time that takes a toll on your self-esteem and general happiness.

I think the best thing for me to do would be to only use it when I absolutely HAVE to communicate something that I couldn't communicate any other way, like promoting art or reaching out to a friend who's far away.

Whether it's Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, especially Buzzfeed, all these websites seem to be designed to distract. There's always something else on the screen screaming for your attention, so that you always forget what you were even looking for in the first place. Forums like this seem to be less distracting. I miss forums.

i don't use social media for various reasons.

1. even if i did use it, i've no one to connect with. (my family use it, but don't want anything to do with me)

2. all the people i do talk to online have email addresses and if i really want to talk to someone (very rarely), i'll just email them
and 3. it means getting used to something i have no clue how to use, and it's more drama in my life. (i've enough of that)

I have had a FB account but couldn't see the point of it after a few weeks so I deleted it. That was about 5 years ago. Same with Twitter. I'm on here and 3 other online communities and that's it. I have enough problems with social withdrawal and addiction to risk getting addicted to a little screen and hiding from the world. I think social media is a waste of time and harmful in most cases. I can see the point of it in a limited capacity, like keeping in touch with friends and family who live far away, some advertising/ marketing and for good causes (like raising money for that Syrian man selling pens with his daughter asleep on his shoulder) but I think it's unhealthy to spend your life on it. Given how much time I spend on PC since I first joined, I wouldn't have time to do anything if I was on other sites too. I'd rather speak to someone or see them in person, or go outside in the fresh air!

[Webgoji]

The Webgoji don't do social media.

I hate it actually. It would be a great way to stay connected with friends and family ... if they ever actually read updates. Plus, even after years of being married, ex-boyfriends of my wife will come crawling out of the media-verse and start hitting on her. "Friends" will treat our marriage with complete disrespect. Basically, social media sucks.

[Komfortable]

I got FB as soon as my school was added in 2004, and watched it change, evolve, and eventually self destruct over the last several years. I deleted mine over a year ago. I quit caring about what was posted so I just bailed. My ex, however, was still very much addicted, spending hours daily checking and checking and checking. She admitted once that she sees the same posts over and over, but still needs to read them. That's nuts. I also recently got rid of my Instagram. It was too much for me. No one posts anything real anymore. It's all "look how great my life is." Well, I know you and where you work and how much you make, and no your life is NOT that great you liar. People cherry-pick moments to make everything look wonderful. That's why I'm over social media. I do, however, use Snapchat quite a bit. It tends to be more real, and far more entertaining.

Is a message board/forum, such as this one, considered social media?

[Komfortable]

Originally Posted by Tea Biscuit

Is a message board/forum, such as this one, considered social media?

I say no.

Originally Posted by Tea Biscuit

Is a message board/forum, such as this one, considered social media?

What I meant by social media is websites like Facebook.

For me I used to have a Facebook account, but I deleted it, too. We don't need hundreds or for some thousands of friends. A couple of good understanding and considerate friends are enough. If my friends and family really want to keep in touch with me they can call. If I graduated I would like some people to call me instead of writing some cold words like "congratulations" on my post, for example.

Facebook is very destructive to social relations and create social emptiness in people at the personal level in my opinion. People share their special moments with people most of whom really don't care. Facebook makes people hungry for attention, and thus makes them post anything and everything.

[Smileonmyface]

interesting topic. i feel like i have a love/hate relationship with facebook. i actually enjoy it the most for the games i can play there but if i could find another way to access those games that didn't involve facebook i probably wouldn't hesitate to get rid of it. i have completely deleted my account in the past but i got one again because i wanted to play the games. i know it is a waste of time but sometimes i enjoy it for that. it is a struggle not to get addicted to it as i am apt to do. when i am feeling manic-ish i will end up posting stuff too much and using it more than is should. i really should get rid of it again. a single post or picture of someone i don't even know anymore can set me off big time, it really isn't worth it.

Originally Posted by SDavid

What I meant by social media is websites like Facebook.

Thank you for the clarification .

By your definition I have never joined nor participated in social media. There's never been a draw for me. Like others have mentioned, family and friends who live overseas can email me, phone my landline or just snail mail me.

I find the idea that you can locate friends from childhood interesting. My family moved a lot when I was a child and I had changed schools several times even before high school. It would be nice to see how some of those kids are doing all grown up - but I was always the 'new kid' so I doubt they'd remember me anyway. Also I would inviting so much bad into my life for so little good - that does not seem worth it to me.

I can see how Facebook and the like work for people with large extended families, and for social butterflies and extroverts. But it seems to be a destructive force in the lives of a lot of people.

I often encounter people who are on Facebook who seem to have several things to be outraged about each day. Things they would not know about otherwise. So Facebook also seems to be good for people who are addicted to outrage - something this little peace - loving introvert does not understand.

TL;DR version: I've never been a part of social media, as the OP defines it, and that seems like a good decision for myself.

[MiddayNap]

Pointless ego-wanking.

[Tauren]

It's great. My family is spread out all over the country, and Facebook makes it so much easier to keep up on what everyone is doing.

[Serzen]

I don't like social media either. I've had a facebook, twitter and tumblr account, but I've deleted them.

I think a forum like this one is different in the sense that there are interesting and useful discussions and information, not dumb posts and quarrels like it happens in social networks.

If you want to know about someone, just send a message or make a call.

In my opinion, social networks do more bad than good.

[healingme4me]

I'm in the process of building and adjusting invisible walls on my fb. Don't truly feel like doing the complete delete thing, like I did a few years ago. It has a benefit of giving me the ability to get information when I need or want it. For instance, my Twitter is primarily handpicked newsfeeds, but...but. but. But. If I miss just one day, whoosh, too much information. FB I can get important information pertaining to my community, without extensive attempts to find what I'm looking for. For instance, emergency parking bans, road paving, and similar. Instagram can be boring as anything. Yet, the app doesn't chew my memory and if I want to share a pic onto fb, it's good for doing that. Yet, comes down to who is really reading updates? Afterall fb shoves news and ads down users throats, most everyone that one would be there for becomes lost. Then if you click just one friend, they become a page of feed. Walls, are to add privacy without the whole why did you delete me issue.
It then gets boring once you catch up without distraction. Sooo, um, that's the psychology of me where it is concerned. And I still am pleased with maintaining my boundaries on this second to me fb account. Most within my inner circle don't get oodles of liked pictures. Don't the 100+ like crowd get nervous?

[possum220]

I like facebook for the games. Other aspects to it are demoralizing. People post thiings that once you see them you cant unsee them. Like animals or people that have been tortured............ yuk!. I also dont like the way that pop up posts come in about some kind of celebrity that blew their nose this morning. I mean who cares................... really? What people see as news has an importance factor of zero.

It lets me watch trains, since I can`t get trackside now. Don`t know if that is what you meant by social media or not???

[gina_re]

I had to deactivate my fb account years ago. Too much drama on there. I am on twitter and IG but that's mostly because most of the people I follow I don't know, so it's not personal and I don't get offended by nonsense. Plus those posts are smiller and not as annoying, and easier to skip over.

[Moomonster]

I don't like social media very much. I've always tried to get to know people on places like Facebook but I rarely get anywhere. One of the problems I think is that people have too much choice of who to get to know, so it's too easy to pass by weirdos like me. Also it means that something one person writes is often ignored as if it doesn't matter, as there are so many other comments to read and reply to.

I also don't like the friend-adding thing, because most people add everyone they come across but then never write to them.

[-jimi-]

Social media teaches us that it is OK to share anything with everyone. It is not. That is lack of boundaries.

Being the recipient of the info, you will not feel special.

Bonds between people happen when we share with some people exclusively. That means, social media does not bring us together, it makes us disconnected in our hearts.

[SCP-122]

It's a bit of a love/hate relationship honestly. Sometimes, people can be very inconsiderate. Yet, you can find people who share similar ideas to you and this is a very big confidence booster I find.

[arich62]

Great topic. Very important one. Else, first of all it : as kept me from being totally lonely but you have to be very careful by what you say. I am someone who learned in my family to be very hurt by rejection, criticism and to take things personally. I have cut out at least 60% of my social interaction online. Before my wife left me three and a half months ago I probably cut out 90% of social networking from a year before. As I have h ad to do a lot of ranting lately from being alone, I've subjected myself to a lot of smart alecks out there and have been the brunt of some pretty hurtful comments. One will find much more hurtful comments online because it is easy to rant without being noticed, you can be anonymous and the written word is generally more hurtful.

[everythingsworld]

Makes being alone with my own demons more tolerable.

[possum220]

Years ago I found that I had to stop watching the news broad casts because they just made me feel so sick and stressed. Just now in the space of a minute my timeline on face book way bombarded with news. I wont describe what was in my face as I dont want to upset any-one. Right now I am so sickened and despairing over what is happening in our world from the deplorable state of nature to humans and what we do and don't do. Social media just makes me want to weep. The world makes me want to weep.