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Social media is very addicting. I wake up checking Social media before I attend my animals. I get in arguments about politics with people over social media . Some friends from Social media share every friggin minute of their life. And constantly taking selfies.
There was a dad that posted a picture of a clogged toilet while he was trying to take his toddler to the bathroom at a football game and the parents chimed in saying the players need to take turns to make sure the bathrooms are cleaned.
I can't say ditched, because I never really got into most of it. I remember when Facebook first came out, I logged in to see what it was about, and as soon as the page loaded, I got this intense feeling of nausea, like when you look at something dead and rotted. I knew that was my inner wisdom saying, "This isn't for you." (I got the same feeling when once at the library I pulled a book off the shelf at random and it turned out to be Scientology. I couldn't put it back fast enough.)
I check out C-D a couple of times a day, but I only subscribe to a few forums, and I have a couple of trusted Twitter feeds I look at once a week or so, but that's it. More than that disturbs my sense of self, and I don't like my time being stolen from me by paying attention to nonsense such as seems to come up routinely on Facebook, if I can go by what others say.
If they have, they wouldn't be reading your post or answering your question would they OP?
I've only joined a couple of special interest forums because I happened to share that interest. The only more generalized communication/discussion venue I follow is C-D. Never used Farcebook, Twitter, etc. Just wasn't interested in wasting my time on general chitchat. If I want to catch up with people I care about I do it directly: face to face, phone, or email. Don't like texting for anything other than a timely, one sentence exchange of information. I've watched one sibling burn an incredible amount of every day keeping current on SM. Very little that's actually productive seems to result from it. Just don't see the point.
Last edited by Parnassia; 04-14-2022 at 02:36 PM..
Has anybody ditched social media and never looked back?
It always makes me smile when someone uses a public message board on the internet to ask if anyone has ditched social media. And then there is always someone who says Hell, yeah. What's the difference between social media and this board other than C-D is 2002 technology and TikTok is 2022 technology. At least the OP is a newbie.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert20170
No, why on earth would I? It's a great way to keep up with family and friends. If you can't use it responsibly though, you should ditch it.
The bolded is too true. If someone can't handle TikTok, Facebook or C-D, they need to take a step back. I have taken breaks from City Data before. Mostly because of the P&OC board. I am taking a break from TikTok right now. Mostly because it was taking too much of my time from Facebook, but still. LOL
Social media is very addicting. I wake up checking Social media before I attend my animals. I get in arguments about politics with people over social media . Some friends from Social media share every friggin minute of their life. And constantly taking selfies.
There was a dad that posted a picture of a clogged toilet while he was trying to take his toddler to the bathroom at a football game and the parents chimed in saying the players need to take turns to make sure the bathrooms are cleaned.
Social media has a couple legs in my world. One is LinkedIn and I won't quit that as it's a huge boon to my income stream. Neither do I participate too much other than to publish articles occasionally. Good way to build social capital in business though. I consider it the least toxic of the major platforms.
Second leg is FB. I've quit that a few years at a time, notably c. 2012-2014 end-of. The thing insidiously ties in other accounts that I need for eCommerce. They aren't dummies and it's harder than ever to totally blow off. I belong to various Groups around a few topics I like. I'll wear some or all too thin eventually, but once again: the Groups around my neighborhood serve a purpose to glue together interesting and relevant hyperlocal news. Making it near-indispensable. So that's a thing, yep.
This platform is not a leg, I like surfing in here occasionally. This isn't social media per se...but I like to blog and reply to topics like yours on-occasion. Helps organize my thoughts. This place is not toxic AFAIK. To me anyway. I don't care what anyone else thinks...about anything. That's freedom from emotional tyranny.
Last leg is YT. I consume vs. post. If I posted and attempted to monetize it would consume my life. I'd fret from a revenue stream, opinion poll, etc. POV. Since I understand metrics and algorithms well it'd be twice as bad as I fussed over various views or lack-of. The caprice by which it's managed would drive me nuts as I'd never know my income stream one month to the next. It doesn't stress me out either as a consumer vs. creator though "echo chamber thinking" can be a thing.
I don't involve in TwTTR, TT, or others much. That bird noise place would drive me nuts quickly. Hope Musk buys it and fires everyone. Thus upending part of the world's information stream and exposing rats for what they really are. When Saudi princes start weighing in, you know "the fix is in" and dark money rules. Shocker there? 'Nuff said.
So yes: if you can, pause it all for one year. I did that after elections, didn't bother signing on from end of '20 to end of '21. "Nothing to see here." I jettisoned news too. My stress level went way down. The world continued turning absent me leering at each twist and turn. I read plenty of books and focussed on making money and athleticism. Some day I may retire and try turning it ALL off, but I'm a lone wolf anyway. Good luck in your quest.
Social media is very addicting. I wake up checking Social media before I attend my animals. I get in arguments about politics with people over social media . Some friends from Social media share every friggin minute of their life. And constantly taking selfies.
There was a dad that posted a picture of a clogged toilet while he was trying to take his toddler to the bathroom at a football game and the parents chimed in saying the players need to take turns to make sure the bathrooms are cleaned.
No, I guess I can't say that I have since I was never addicted to it in the first place. This is about the only social media site I regularly visit. Sometimes things are kind of dull on it; sometimes there's good conversations. When that's going on I check it more regularly to see if there's any new responses. It's my main way of socializing actually since I'm an introvert and I don't like to hang out with people most of the time. And I like communicating by writing better than talking as well. If I couldn't get to it, no big deal (and usually steer clear of arguments; sometimes will just endeavor to be as clear as I can be).
It's a wonder to me why social media is so addicting. I mean, I guess it's just what some people like to do. But what is so fulfilling about it? I really love looking up old families on genealogy sites (usually distant relations). For me, I just enjoy thinking about what their lives might have been like; I find "normal" people's lives (not the fantastically boring "famous" people's) waaaaay more interesting than celebrities. When I find a newspaper article about something about the family it is like the awesome-est thing in the world. Still don't find it exactly *addicting*--when I have time I like to do it and can indulge in it when like I'm on vacations. But usually that's the only time I work on it. I think I just don't have an addictive personality (that definitely shows through in medication--the "addictive" stuff doesn't become that way for me. Am able to be disciplined in the use of it).
So would you be able to articulate, or try to, about why it is so addicting? Maybe you can start there and try to find ways to channel that energy into something not as negative in a psychological way.
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Originally Posted by irootoo
I can't say ditched, because I never really got into most of it. I remember when Facebook first came out, I logged in to see what it was about, and as soon as the page loaded, I got this intense feeling of nausea, like when you look at something dead and rotted. I knew that was my inner wisdom saying, "This isn't for you." (I got the same feeling when once at the library I pulled a book off the shelf at random and it turned out to be Scientology. I couldn't put it back fast enough.)
LOL. I know the feeling. I think I would get it if I tried to log in to that Tik Tok nonsense. Somewhere down the road they're going to find out the mechanism by which that stuff lowers your IQ.
I have a Facebook page that I initially signed up for in order to get a deal on CDs at my bank (turned out not to be able to get it anyway, of course). I didn't touch it in years. Then my mom's old friend lost contact with her and I told her I'd try to find her on Facebook since I know lots of people use it for that purpose (and I was able to find her and that's how they started talking again--so it does have a positive side to it if used correctly!); and then I also was given contact information by that method for someone who might have been able to help with my genealogy research. So I brushed up the page, and I have it out there for now old friends who I've lost touch with. Did connect with one person that way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe the Photog
What's the difference between social media and this board other than C-D is 2002 technology and TikTok is 2022 technology. At least the OP is a newbie.
Oh, wow--is that right?! I don't know--and I want to keep it that way!!!! All I know about that garbage is from my co-workers who are constantly talking about these blitheringly inane "songs" that are on there; and then these "challenges" where I'm left wondering how a civilization could have plummeted from the cliff of intelligence.
Last edited by Basiliximab; 04-18-2022 at 04:21 AM..
I find Facebook is good to keep up with friends that I cannot physically see and meet new people since I don't get out much anymore. I also have a photography business page. I don't shoot weddings (God, no!) but do sell photographs and Facebook is a great way to get a few sales or at least keep my photographs in people's minds. I used to do that through Twitter, but only did that through Twitter so much so that Twitter thought I was a spam bot and suspended my account. I appealed and they gave it back to me but all of my contacts were gone and I just don't feel like setting them back up. I doubt Twitter ever got me a sale through my Print On Demand site, but it was good for the view count on said site.
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