The world of social media and me

139 Comments

1. It is all said well, Leanne, I have lost interest in social media and posting besides everything you have wrote about in your blog here, people are having their identities stolen and using their information for things like creating a social media account, it happened to me on a sight called (Snapchat) which after researching it, I would not have a Snapchat account. My only wish now is to get wordpress to help out getting my blog up. I cannot afford $400-$1000 for a professional and I am having the worst time understanding DMS records and every time I try to log in, they are popping in with so many things pertaining to “Upgrade.” My sight is not set to private anymore, but I took a break (4days now) because I was stressed out. Any suggestions I welcome.

   1. Thank you Trudy.I didn’t know that about identity theft, though I sometimes get messages from people that I apparently follow, well I do, but then I realise it isn’t them. You don’t need to pay for WordPress, wordpress.com is free and anyone can start a free blog on it. In fact most people I know have them. I started one last year about my garden and it is okay. Though I never seem to find the time to post on it. I don’t know what DMS records are, sorry. I tried to look at your site and it says there is nothing there.

2. I agree with you about social media. In my past, I even coached people how to use it to build professional networks and for personal development when it wasn’t as toxic. Now, it’s completely different to the early years. I deleted all my accounts except my blog and my YouTube channel. It got a lot of people’s backs up because they felt there was no way of contacting me. I didn’t care. People consider my blog or my YouTube too difficult to find. That’s okay. I feel way better without social media in my life. It made me realise that it’s pretty pointless.

   1. You sound like me. Though I haven’t deleted my accounts, but it isn’t worth contacting me through them because I never look at them. The world is a different place these days and I’m not sure that social media doesn’t have a lot to do with it.
      thank you Helen for your thoughts here.

3. Nice article though. the whole cyber and internet thing can be confusing. marketing or advertising is a thing of human, the age just brought modification to it, and it can be energy draining, especially when someone doing nothing at home, but will put make up. ( picture please) we can’t also deny the opportunity and advantages it brings when in the right hands.

   1. I agree it can be confusing. I also agree about the energy draining you can spend so much time on it, and most of it a waste of time. Unfortunately most people on it, I think, are not the right hands sadly. Thank you for contributing to the discussion.

4. nice

   1. Thank you Sarah.

5. The post asa its comments are interesting, also relevant to me. I think the algorithm of social media deeply disturb the harmony of our normal lives. The post is so engaging.

   1. Happy to hear what you think about it, it has been surprising how much others have thought similar to me. Thank you for contributing.

6. Very nice

   1. Thank you.

7. Wonderful post 🌹

   1. Thank you Satyam.

8. I’m just starting out in WordPress and I find it much more peaceful than most social medias. There’s so much more freedom of epxression here and cozier than the design or social interaction expected from of FB or Instagram and Twitter. I’ve never used TikTok because when it came out initially, many people can plainly see how it can be easily detrimental, so the warning is super clear on that one to stay away from that app.

   But for all others, including YouTube (videos or shorts), the warning is still an after effect, meaning more like a retrospective, take stock of users who realized AFTER using like wait a minute! This isn’t good for me at all.. so they start warning people. That much early or late warning does affect us all, I think.

   But I’m so glad you shared this. The choice to find a quieter, grounded and just as well-functioning platform like WordPress is a wonderful decision that I think I share likewise :)!

   Thank you for your writing this piece & starting the discussion 🌸

   1. I think the freedom of expression is a great point. You have many great points actually and I like the idea that blogging is more peaceful, so true.
      YOu’re welcome, I’m glad to hear you liked and wanted to contribute.

9. Same pinch, my existence on the internet is through my blog, that’s it. I am living a fulfilling life without FB, Insta, Twitter or X, Thread and whatnot. Yes, YouTube is a part of life coz there is more learning there as compared to any other social networking site.

   1. I have to say I haven’t missed them either. I do like YouTube, I like watching lots of different things there. Thank you for your thoughts.

10. Smart.
    🎉🎉

    1. I hope so.

11. Stunning photos! 😍
    I’m pretty much with you on the social media thing. Facebook is beyond frustrating with all the garbage I never “signed up” for and having to weed through it all to get to the things I want to see.
    I do post on Instagram once a day, but it’s gone down hill ever since Facebook bought it. I don’t do the follow back thing either and regularly remove followers who never liked a single one of my pictures.

    1. That pretty much sums up why i left FB. I joined it to see what my friends were doing, but in the end I couldn’t see anything they posted.
       I just can’t be bothered with IG, you have to ask yourself, or I did, what do I get out of it? For me I get more from here on the blog, I enjoy this so much more.
       Thank you for your thoughts on this topic.

12. Social media is just a mindless distraction for me.

    1. I know what you mean, that is how many of us feel. Thanks for adding to the discussion.

13. Only because you disagree with them. Maybe consider that people are individuals and think differently. However, I agree. I do not like social media and politics, because it is too difficult to be understood fully on some invisible place. And people need to chill out and listen and expect disagreements. But not possible nowadays. If one disagrees, still show basic respect and move on if they start to argue and demean.

    1. Of course other people have different opinions and I don’t have a problem with that, but it doesnt mean I have to listen to them, especially if they go against everything I believe in. I am not sure what you are talking about. Chill out with politics, that is how dictators take over or you end up with corrupt governments. Everyone needs to know politics and needs to know what the people who represent them are doing. Of course there will be diagreements, there wouldn’t be different political parties if people didn’t. I don’t understand where your lecture is coming from. No one here is saying they disrespect, they have chosen instead to leave the social media platforms they don’t like.

14. Interesting

    1. It is.

15. Amazing
    🎉🎉🎉

    1. Thank you.

16. Nicely said, same! And looking at some comments makes me feel happy that some people think the same and that we try different things bot just loosing ours on social media……

    1. Yeah, seems a lot of people are starting to turn away from it. I don’t think that is a bad thing. Thanks Dana.

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19. Hi! I agree. I think that we have to get back to a place of “Safety ” & that Safety comes from within. Then the rest (Answers) come for us in making sense of this “Social Media” Language.

    1. Great way of putting it, I like that, thank you for contributing.

20. The only reason I use social media is for bookstagram. It helps me to find new books that I should read. Otherwise I don’t use it.

    1. That’s good that you found a way to make it work for you. Thanks for that information.

21. I am active on one social media platform and that is WP, you don’t find me anywhere else. (not that I am a popular figure)
    It’s been more than 5 yrs since I disappeared from all platforms except WP.
    What happened?
    Reason- nobody cares anybody and one is forever in a total mess😭😭
    I am better off, saner and peaceful forever after I deactivated all accounts.
    What else do I need?
    Why nobody told me this secret of enjoying life much earlier?😀😀
    Thank you for this thought provoking post!

    1. I have to agree that staying away does make you a lot saner. I don’t miss it at all.
       Yeah I think it is something we all have to figure out for ourselves. You’re welcome, thank you for joining the discussion.

    2. My pleasure in joining the discussion.

    3. 😁😁

22. Growing up, I wanted to become a social media influencer, and I still do. Being active on social media is challenging because of school, work, and spending time with friends and family. There are many things I want to share, but I am also a private person regarding many aspects of my life. Additionally, the negativity on social media can be overwhelming at times, making it feel like you are constantly being judged. All I want to do is share aspects of my life that I am proud of or express my true self.

    1. I have to admit I’m a private person too. Happy to share my photography and little bits about my family, but that is it. I don’t know about being an influencer anymore. Aren’t people turning off many of these platforms, so it seems it would be harder. You can do that, you can do share your life the way you want. Good luck with it.

23. Hi, I am kind of the same, I’m a rather private person so the idea of social media has always been a problem for me. I’ve used Facebook but sparingly, messenger is what I use the most and from time to time I’ll check on the groups I’m in.
    At one point I thought that instagram would help me connect with people with similar interests, and it has but not in a meaningful way. I’m a runner so through IG I discovered races, running clubs, and gear that I didn’t know about. However, I have yet to make new friends through social media. In my personal life, I have few friends that like to run or are avid readers and movie goers, I really thought that I would connect with like-minded people through social media but it’s been a rather distant affair where we acknowledge or admire one another from a far, even when we’re geographically close. So I tend to stay in my bubble.

    1. I never found IG good for connecting, except in a fairly superficial way and the people I met I never see anymore. Everyone has different experiences, but for me the blog has brought me lots more friends and people. I’ve met many people who I have got to know through the blog when they have come to Australia. It has been really nice. Yeah, the bubble can be good. I live in my own pretty all the time now. I love it, but that’s me. I hope you find some like minded people Garc, good luck and thank you for sharing your experiences.

24. I went from being the one paying for my dance videos featuring on Instagram pages to posting rarely in the past 3 years. The reason being it is all a distraction from the real life I want to live. It is all about showing people what you have and how you live. And I realized we need to live and not to consistently show how we live. I have drawn my focus on learning my passion – dance even more than just posting. I have drawn my focus to my life and my loved ones.

    1. Oh yes the distraction from real life is a big thing. I was spending all day everyday working on it all, trying to attract new followers, working on posts for it. Since I gave it all up I feel like I have my life back. I just want to take photos and show some of them on my blog. I don’t work on photos as much as I used to. I think it is great that you are focusing on your passion, that is how it show be. Thank you for sharing that Prachi.

25. I share all your sentiments about social media, Leanne. I’ve never been on FB or Twitter because I don’t need social media to converse with my friends, plus all the reasons you mentioned.
    I joined Instagram shortly before they were bought by FB, and everything’s definitely gone downhill from there. As we have EU privacy & data protection laws, we currently have an option in IG to use the automatically appearing “for you” feed that throws everything you’re not interested in your way or click on “following”, I always choose the latter so I only see posts from people I follow. Having said that, FB is trying to circumvent that now by offering a pay version – get ads or pay not to. I might be out if that happens.
    In general, though, the expectancy that if someone likes your post you should like back their like or comment… is getting on my nerves. Also I’m annoyed by tons of hashtags – who clicks on them?
    Sadly I feel like blogging isn’t very popular anymore. I still love it, but readers seem to dwindle, even if they have subscribed…

    1. I feel the same way about conversing with friends and family, though I do use Messenger, but that’s it, though I would like to convert my daughter to the chat feature in Gmail.
       I wish we had those EU privacy and data protection laws here. We get harrassed all the time. We don’t get a choice with IG, it would be easier if we did. I wondered if FB would ever do that, YT does, so I’m not surprised. Hashtags can be good and I’ve been known to click on them.
       I don’t think blogging is either, but I live in hope that people will come back to them when the rest fails. I hope. Like you I still love it too. I enjoy it too much to worry about the rest, do what you love. Thank you Kiki for sharing your thoughts on this.

26. I was talking to someone about it the other day. While blogging, once very popular, has become something of a “niche” activity, TikTok has become all the rage (I’m told it’s a Chinese spyware so I steer clear and I’m not interested in stupid short videos either), and FB and Insta are, as you say, so cluttered with ads and sponsored accounts…it’s almost not worth it. I’ve recently cleaned up both my FB and Insta feeds, unfollowed most people I don’t care about anyway and deleted unimportant pages and only kept the photographers I like and music/culture pages – it looks so much better already.

    I didn’t realize you have a YT presence – I’ll check it out!

    1. Blogging certainly isn’t what it was 10 years ago, but I often wonder with so many people turning away from social media will people turn to them again? Who knows. I have thought about cleaning up mine as well, but it is such a big job and I really don’t need either, so I kind of don’t bother. Yes, I do have a YT channel, I don’t use it much, but in the winter I like doing timelapses, so I post more then. Thank you, good to hear how you have coped with it.

27. I do agree, there are small positives and fair bit of negatives in social media. It is exhausting using social media to promote blogs or posts, and as you correctly mentioned, the conversion rate of ppl clicking on links is very small. I use pinterest, I got tons of screen caps, the funny thing is, the ones that aren’t promoting my blog post, gets more views than the ones that do, in essence I suck getting it right with pinterest xDD and just beginning to think, why bother putting this much effort, when payoff is next to nothing.

    1. The conversion rates have me thinking, why bother. Though my blog updates to my FB automatically, so I don’t have to think about it. Though because my blog is self hosted Jetpack keep wanting me to pay for more and more things, which is starting to get really annoying, especially since it doesn’t make me any money. Oh well. So no payoff at all. Thank you Bloop for sharing your experiences.

28. I kept Facebook because the art class groups hang out and share and conversations there. Tired of social media weirdos. Even LinkedIn is full of ads and has become a dating app !?!?!!

    1. I don’t really use LInkedIn but after seeing this I closed my account. Who needs that. I think if you can find way to make it work for you, then great, I am just over it. Thank you Anne.

29. Hi I am new to this, I write poetry but lost on making a good blog. Does anyone know how all this really works?

    1. YOu just have to keep doing it, you will pick it up. There are many of us here and just watch what we do. REmember the reader is your friend. Good luck.

    2. Thank you so much

    3. 😀 😀

    4. A few suggestions:
       1. Never have a private blog.
       2. Post on your blog once a week (minimum).
       3. Comment on other WordPress blogs.

    5. Thank you so much

30. Thank you for your sincerity. I have not been very involved with social media, or very diligent with postings I am glad, I am not alone having mixes feelings about it.

    1. No not alone at all Sarah. I think there are many of us feeling the same way. Thanks Sarah for contributing.

31. I stopped using insta, snap chat or any other social media platforms, and I realised that nothing changed after that, it was me who regarded these apps as “must apps” but it was the same, I could still message my friends or they can message me, life is good without these apps.

    1. I am so with you Shruti, I found the same, I know how to contact my friends. Though I do use Messenger, but that is all. I like talking to people on the phone, or with video calls. We don’t need these other things. Thank you for sharing that.

32. One thing I would like to describe is that because of social media, I am separated from all my joys, physical activities, relatives, evening friends, and family. I become the screen girl all the time .

    1. Yeah that is a real problem and I have to admit that was me a few years ago. I was on it from sun up to sun down. It isn’t good when that happens.
       Thank you aana for sharing that.

    2. Anytime dear.

    3. 😀

33. -I have mixed feelings about social media. Negatives and positives. During the pandemic it was a lifeline to my family and friends. And I meet people from all over when I travel and platforms such as FB and WhatsApp are ways to keep in touch from time to time. I am on FB but keep my account pretty private. These days I use it mostly to share travel photos with family and friends. They are generally not bloggers and only check out my blog if I do a FB post with a link to a WP post. So FB is the main way to share and communicate with them. While the blogging community is great and friendly, it misses that friend/family connection. I am still on IG because it is how I keep in touch with several of my nieces. I want to be sure they know more about me than I am an aunt who live hours away. I post occasionally but go in and delete some “followers” because they are fake/spam accounts. On IG, I follow photographers and travel sites for the most part.
    -I am a huge fan of Messenger in FB. My family is scattered to all corners of the US and we can have group video calls or individual calls. It is nice to chat with all 5 of my sisters at one time. I also enjoy being able to see their kids or grandkids who I don’t see in person often. I use WhatsApp to keep in touch with friends in Europe. Also, on many tours outside the US, the tour leader/company use WhatsApp to contact and coordinate with tour members. It is the only social media account some people I meet in my travels use. I think it is important to have as a frequent traveler.
    -Twitter/X is irrelevant to me because I really don’t care about peoples opinions and arguments and hate it when many online news site articles are mainly screen shots of X postings. I don’t understand Reddit and subreddits and have no interest.
    -I do belong to several groups on FB which are useful. One is for owners in my housing complex. Another is for my extended family. One for my hometown, one for a travel company I use, and one for retirees from my last employer. All provide access to information I might not otherwise know about. And as I age, I am finding the need to maintain some connections important. Email has, at least for me, faded as a way to keep in contact with people. I rarely get or send personal email.

    1. I must admit that during the pandemic is probably when I turned away from it even more. I think what I did a lot during that time was wait and see how many of my friends actually reached out. I have found the opposite, most of my friends from the internet have come to me by my blog. I only have maybe one from that I have met through FB, that I am still friends with. That is interesting what you say blogging is missing, perhaps taht is what I love about it.
       I get you with Messenger, I always have it open and I use that to connect with my daughters and quite a few friends. I have whatsapp but when I tried to take to a friend with it I couldn’t get it to work, it was so annoying.
       I get it if you don’t have any interest some of these platforms, why would you use them.
       While I don’t use social media much I have no issues with others using it, it isn’t like I was to see it disappear, well not completely. I just don’t want to use it anymore. I am so much happier now. I still get emails from friends and phone calls. I use Messenger for many who are overseas, and some get emails. For me emails are like writing letters, which is definitely a thing of the past.
       Thank you Marie for sharing how you use it and why.

34. I agree with you completely. I only have Facebook and Messenger now but very rarely use Facebook due to the volume of ads and the inability to see anything from my friends. I used to think it was a good way to share information and promote my photography but social media has become a platform that any person who wants to retain a semblance of sanity should avoid. Social media has created a world of twisted truths and outright falsehoods and a pressure on people to portray a certain image. It is responsible for a huge increase in mental illness and an unhealthy self-obsession. The negativity, hatred and greed that I saw on social media platforms far outweighed the positive. I steer well clear and only use WordPress now, although I often wonder if I should stop using that as well. I much prefer to speak to people in person and share my work as prints, as we used to do in the good old days!

    1. I think the inability to see what my friends were posting was what made me think, nuh this isn’t good. As a place that was meant for you to connect with friends, it did a lousy job of allowing you to do that. I think you might be right about the semblance of sanity. Oh I hadn’t thought of the mental health implications. The self-obsession really gets me. No one seems to care about other people anymore, it is all about me. I am staying away from it all for similar reasons. Though I will stick with the blog because I am connecting with people from other countries and I enjoy that. I like sharing my images this way. Printing is too expensive. Thank you for sharing your beliefs on this Stuart.

35. I no longer “do” social media. As in, I left Facebook, though I still have Instagram as I post videos for my basketball team. Twitter, I’ve kept, though, mainly share blog posts.
    I think blogs will continue as it’s a creative outlet for many, myself included. Statistics are not an issue. I’ve had the same followers for over 8 years.

    1. I went back into my stats and realised that I don’t get that much traffic from FB, though it just updates it when I do a post, I don’t look at it or anything. Twitter got me almost no views at all so it was a no brainer to just get rid of it.
       I really hope blogs continue. They are a great outlet. I often wonder if people who used to blog will find their way back. As long as you are happy with it all, then what else matters. Thank you Suzanne for sharing.

36. I’m with you on this topic, Leanne. I hate Facebook — if I use it, that’s for the family only, and even that is becoming upsetting, since some of the family members are now linking themselves to terrorism and antisemitism. As for Elon Musk, he’s just a piece of s… (It does seem that all crazies and low life people are out there poisoning the Internet.) I tried to use Instagram, but since I don’t post regularly, that’s a losing game for me, too. At the end, there just a few people I follow, and most of them are landscape photographers from YouTube. Oh, well, maybe I am just old 🙂

    1. Thankfully most of my family don’t use FB either so I don’t need to worry about using it for that. That is terrible that they are doing that. I agree about Elon Musk, totally. Oh yes the crazies are really coming forward now. I don’t think you should feel bad or old, you have to do what you are comfortable with. I follow a lot of people on YouTube, I enjoy what they share, most of the time it has nothing to do with photography. I just like. Thank you Svetlana for sharing your thoughts.

37. I enjoy my blog family more than anything else. Other things are just to keep up with family if I want to

    1. I feel the same way Brian. Good way to go in my book, thanks.

38. Bravo, I totally agree. With the blog, we each have total control and take responsibility for content; with most social media, people use anonymity to attack and destroy, and are not accountable. Social media have become platforms of misinformation (deliberately or otherwise), and AI will compound the problem

    1. I have to say that is one thing I really like is the total control. I can write and show what I like without having to worry about censors. I have had people here be nasty and say horrible things, but I just delete their comments before they are published and if they continue I ban them. I like having that control. There is always something that is making it even worse. Thank you Penny, lovely to hear from you.

39. I do post my blog articles on Facebook, but only to friends. I enjoy getting news from good friends and family, and ignore the rest of the clutter. No Twitter…. a friend tried to get me to use Instagram but it simply doesn’t do what WordPress does. Here, I like the format. I enjoy, travelling, taking photos and writing. I do this because it is what Iike to do. I don’t worry about numbers of views or how many people read the blog. If spent time trying to find new readers, it would takecthe fun out of writing. I am grateful of those who do find time to read and appreciative of any comments made.

    1. Oops, pressed the button before finishing, please excuse typos. Basically I agree whole-heartedly with your view. Look forward to seeing your next enjoyable contributions.

    2. I actually didn’t notice any Geoff. Thank you so much, good to hear from so many that do think the same way about it all.

    3. I let it post automatically to my pages, I might stop that at some point, who knows. I think if someone wants to talk to me they can contact me on Messenger. I look at that quite a bit.
       I have to admit I feel happier using my blog like I wished Instagram was. I can do the same thing here. That is really good to hear Geoff, we should enjoy these things. I enjoy sharing my photography and the experiences that go along with it. I’m trying not to care about the numbers, but I did it for so long that it is hard not to now. I agree, I enjoy my life away from it all far more now. Thank you Geoff for your insights.

40. Facebook is so noisy. I don’t do Twitter anymore. I don’t Instagram nor Tiktok, not a fan of these apps. I am more at home with WordPress. I like Messenger though but you can’t access it if you don’t have a Facebook acct. 🥰

    1. You could be me Arlene, I am the same with FB, only have it for Messenger. I am also so much more at home with WP, it is comfortable and I feel like I have more control over it. Thank you for chiming in too.

41. Agreed. I’ve left all social media but WP, with my blog. I’m ready to delete YouTube too. I’m tired of the ever increasing avalanche of ads…

    1. I have to admit I pay the subscription thing for YouTube. Having adblock worked for a long time, but they found a way around it. It is worth the money not to get the ads. I watch lots of stuff on YouTube, but am starting to get sick of it and if I find I am not watching it much I will stop paying. The ads were ridiculous, at least on tv they put them at appropriate times. Thank you for your thought Liam.

42. I appreciate your comments in this post. I’ve also been trying to detour myself from most social media outlets. There’s interesting content at times, but there’s a lot of content that’s pulling people apart by putting them in groups.

    If you’re in X group (no pun intended), you’re supposed to hate people from Y group, and vice versa.

    There’s something to be said about having different opinions on something, but still having respect for the person regardless of their different beliefs. Humanity has always struggled with this, and social media has made it worse.

    Also, the “payback” of using social media is usually very low. People get little dopamine hits every time they use social media and other gamified systems, which makes them eager to go back for more. When in reality, there’s a strong tendency to a lot of negative things if someone gets into social media too much.

    I’d recommend a book from Cal Newport called Digital Minimalism. While the book isn’t specifically about social media, it describes some of its dangers very well.

    Stay well, stay happy!

    1. It is the pulling apart that I really don’t like. I won’t support something that does that. No way.
       The hating is what I hate, lol. Why can’t we all just respect that we have different opinions. You don’t have to agree with them, and maybe just don’t talk about the differences. I think you are right that Social Media has made it worse.

       Maybe social media is like gambling, little wins make you addicted. I have to agree, since I gave up most of it I do feel so much happier.
       Thank you for the recommendation Derek and thank you for your contribution.

43. Great little article Leanne. I now have much the same feelings.
    FB for me, is pretty much a waste of time. It is used mostly to contact friends and relatives I can’t normally reach. Its Groups section seem to devolving from something useful to a platform to bash someone with differing views.
    Instagram, well I don’t have a mobile so I can’t get in.
    Linkdin I am still on for some reason or other, can’t figure out why.
    The Dead Bird, I have never had an interest.
    Now I have tried Mastodon and it is getting more like FB every day.
    Now I do not mind Discord. I am taking a Computer course and they have a Discord Server exclusively for registered students. There are also other interesting servers but I find my interests hard to find and it is an FB / Dead Bird mashup so that may go down the tubes. It also seems like it could go beyond my budget.
    You are quite right, ***it is a lot of work to keep up with all the social media accounts*** and keep getting noticed by noticing others (many others).

    Cheers and Best of Luck wherever you are.

    P.S.
    Just in case you haven’t heard WordPress are changing their privacy settings to allow AI scappers to grab all your data.
    If you want, you can Opt Out in you General Settings > Privacy.
    See: https://grahamcluley.com/act-now-to-stop-wordpress-and-tumblr-selling-your-content-to-ai-firms/ for more info.

    1. Taht is a lot, it is also so much to keep up with, you just about need to make a clone of yourself to do it at times. I just find them so noisy and toxic, esp, twitter and FB. I like the blog and feel I have more control over it.

       Tahnk you so much for sharing. My blog is self-hosted, so I don’t know that those changes would effect me, but thank you for letting me know.

44. I am in exactly the same place, though I do write for my own blog plue posting photographs. I closed — the the extent that they LET you close — my FB account years ago. It was like wading through sewage. I wasn’t sure I WANTED those people following me. I never used Instagram. Too complicated. I still use Twitter (now X, if you please) as an advertisement for MY site, but I may give that up soon. It’s hard to use a social media platform where I know they hate me.

    To the extent that WordPress is social media, I still blog. These days it’s more photos than writing, but I’m recently out of the hospital and not quite up to serious writing. I need a couple more months of healing before I dive in.

    Social media reflects what has happened to our world. It’s a sad state of affairs — our world and our media. Not to mention our politics and the hatred that seems to have infused so many people. I don’t get it — and I am not sure I want to get it. This world isn’t my world anymore. I’m not sure what it is, but it’s the only world I’ve got.

    As a side note: PLEASE respond to me if you get this. I don’t know if you are even receiving my comments. Maybe I’m doing something wrong, but I never see them posted and I never get a response, yet I see you pop up on MY site, so I’m wondering if my comments are not going to the right place.

    1. I like that term sewage for FB, so true. I don’t think any of them were as they were first intended. They have really become toxic.

       I think my blog will be more photos than writing, but not for the same reasons. More because I have so much other stuff I need to do away from the blog. I am glad to hear you are on the mend.

       I’m with you 100%, I don’t understand how people just don’t seem to care about others anymore except for themselves. Why is there so much hate. It isn’t the world I like anymore either. It actually really scares me with what is happening. I can’t help thinking we are headed into some very dark times.

       You aren’t doing anything wrong Marilyn, it is me really. Thank you so much for your insight, I really appreciate it.

45. A good post, Leanne. I never had a FB account and I’m so glad for that. FB is full of censorship as is Instagram these days. I have been banned several times from commenting on other’s posts for supposedly making rotten comments when the truth is I just don’t do that.

    The last time which was recent, I was banned for a week for replying to someone’s post with three of these: ❤️❤️❤️. No joke. It’s an algorithum (can’t spell that one) problem or something but I am sick of it. This has happened to lots of people I follow. IG used to be fun before it had ads and got worse when FB bought it.

    I would delete my account but I have so many friends around the world there. It would be nice though to have just my blog. It’s a love/hate relationship with social media but we need to remember that that is all it is. Our real lives come first!

    I am a registered Republican but consider myself a Conservative, some call that a right-wing person. I hope I don’t scare you, Leanne! I don’t bite. ❤️

    1. FB was fun for a while, but it got so noisy. I do like Messenger, but that is it.

       I don’t get how you can be banned for commenting. Maybe we should do an experiment and I can try commenting the same stuff and see if I get banned. I don’t really care on my IG if it happens. I got sick of the work you had to do on it to get anywhere.

       I haven’t really found any friends through IG, some short terms ones, but that is it. I agree, live first, and stop living in the cyberworld. I know I am so much happier now.

       That is fine John, I have another friend who is also a Republican, just means we should never talk politics with one another.
       Thank you John.

    2. Ya right! No political chat. I think it’s an algorithm that is banning me, Leanne. IG has 700 hundred million users so you know that computers are in the mix. I despise the follow/unfollow crap on IG. It’s so petty. I have about three hundred followers on IG and that’s fine. I’ve never been all about getting tons of followers. I use IG because it’s fun, it was more fun before FB bought it. Same on my blog, I have a couple of hundred followers there and that’s fine. I blog for fun!

    3. Yeah, probably a good topic to stay away from. That is so weird, I just find it unbelievable that IG would do that. Do you think some people might have reported you and that is why it is happening? No idea why they would. The comments you have always left me on that platform have been really nice. I just delete horrible comments. If you enjoy it you should use it. I just hate all the crap that comes up in your feed, it is like weeding and trying to find the flowers that you are looking for. I love blogging. We met through blogging.

    4. Wow, your comment makes me feel like I should delete my account, Leanne, and that’s totally okay. The time for that may come soon. But, only because I am growing weary of the stupid battle. Thanks, Leanne, your comment says pi just don’t leave bad comments on folks content.

    5. Oh no, I didn’t mean to put you off John. The battle would do my head in. YOu don’t John, you are very respectful.

    6. You didn’t, no worries, Leanne. ❤️

    7. Oh good, I’m glad.

    8. 😊😊😊

46. I wouldn’t disagree. I do make the occasional video I put up on YouTube. Occasionally I use Sway, Mostly I just try to perfect my blog.

    1. Never heard of Sway. lol. I am doing the same, concentrating all my efforts on my blog, Thank you Brian for you thoughts.

47. I’m about the same with all the places like FB and Twitter (so what if it is now X), and a couple of people I see their stuff. My blog link is all that happens there (except my daughter posts funny things to my message on Twitter). She signed me up to Instagram but I have no idea how to use it, and don’t really care to. WP is all I really like using. 🙂

    1. I signed my mum up to Instagram and she couldn’t work it out either. There are other things I can’t work out, though I often think if I can’t work it out that probably means I don’t care about it. I’m with you WP all the way, much nicer people here I think. Thank you.

    2. I signed my mum up to Instagram and she couldn’t work it out either. There are other things I can’t work out, though I often think if I can’t work it out that probably means I don’t care about it. I’m with you WP all the way, much nicer people here I think. Thank you.

    3. I signed my mum up to Instagram and she couldn’t work it out either. There are other things I can’t work out, though I often think if I can’t work it out that probably means I don’t care about it. I’m with you WP all the way, much nicer people here I think. Thank you.

48. I’m not on Facebook, Twitter (X), Instagram, TikTok or any of the myriad of social media sites — Linkedin, WhatsApp, WeChat, Telegram, Snapchat, Pinterest, Reddit, Quora, Discord, Twitch, Tumblr, Threads, Mastadon …

    They all seem to serve a niche audience. To be successful in the world of social media, you really have to establish a strong presence in order to have the widest possible reach. It is exhausting and can literally consume your life.

    Studies have shown that people who are less engaged on social media are healthier and happier. I only have accounts with WordPress and YouTube which are taxing enough without the commensurate reward.

    But if you can inspire just one person then maybe it isn’t so important to reach the millions who simply click through your content in search of followers.

    1. OMG there are so many, hadn’t thought about it like that.
       I agree they all serve that sort of audience. It can consume it and did consume mine for quite a few years. It was frustrating too.

       I like hearing about those studies.I have to say since I made the decision to quit social media and trying to get a business going I haven’t been happier. I really enjoy taking photos and sharing them, but that is it.

       I don’t care about the millions, I just like connecting with people and through this blog I”ve been able to do that a lot. Thank you so much David.

49. I share your opinion about FB Leanne, I stopped posting in this social platform. My account is private (only acces to my friends) and I keep it that way. I don’t want to depend on the strange algorithms of FB or “X” (what is a very strange name to me….) What can be more “unknow” and “mysterious” than “X” ha ha ha.
    Sometimes I post on Instagram, but less than before. At least there I found some people who I’m interested in (in vice versa).
    Twitter, I never understood why this can be a succes for so many people.
    Youtube I just use for finding instruction videos that can be very helpfull.

    1. My FB account is private too, I hope it is anyway. In Australia we were all warned that it should be private. The algorithm is crazy and I don’t like it.
       I don’t really see the value of IG anymore, it has never been good for me.
       Thank you Rudi for sharing your experiences.

50. I used to love social media. Ten plus years ago it was great fun. I had my Facebook with two pages, and Instagram. People participated with me and it was mostly a very positive and uplifting experience. I spent the majority of my time on my blog, then would switch over to work the social media thing. But over time I found it cumbersome. Too much time spent trying to get attention. Then you get the weirdos and stalkers and trolls. It became exhausting and negative. I got rid of the Facebook pages. Then slowly I’ve faded away. I have Facebook, but it’s anonymous with only a handful of friends who I care to keep up with. I deleted IG other than an anonymous account so I can follow artists I admire. Here’s the thing about social media: It is a thief. It steals your time and your soul. It CHEAPENS YOUR WORK. This is something most people do not realize. Putting your work on social media cheapens it. Downgrades it. You may get slightly more exposure, but is it worth it? You could instead invest that time in focusing on your art, in being better and more creative. Then put that creativity on a blog and website. PERIOD. So… I agree with you wholeheartedly. Social media isn’t a good thing.

    1. I can really relate Merilee to the early days of it, I found the same. My blog has always been my main focus too, but like you I would spend a lot of time on other platforms. OMG the weirdos ruined it for everyone. I haven’t deleted anything other than twitter. You are so right about how it steals your time. It really does. I never found that Instagram boosted my business when I was doing it, in fact I just got inundated with people who wanted me to pay them for something, so annoying. I like the idea of putting all my effort here now. It isn’t anymore. Thank you so much Merilee for your experiences and thoughts.

51. Hello Leanne, I am much the same as you, just use WordPress now for social media.

    1. It has certainly made my life a lot easier, I hope you found the same. Thank you.

52. How you use or don’t use social media and WordPress is exactly how I do it. 😊🙌

    1. It is the easiest way I’ve found, thank you Sherry.

53. Interesting – I’ve never really had any social media accounts. There have been some serious studies on its deleterious effects. Here’s an interview with Jason Lanier that might interest you.
    https://youtu.be/kc_Jq42Og7Q

    Thats said I’m also an advocate of free speech. If I don’t like whats being said I can always walk away or change the channel. And I do, often.

    One concern I have is this term right-wing. I’m an American and it seems it comes from abroad. I don’t know its definition. It seems that anyone right of Mao is right wing. 😉 And that’s a helluva lot of people…

    1. I can see lots of people doing PhDs on the negative effects of social media in the future, if they aren’t doing them now. Thank you for the video link, though I think it is one I’ve already watched, but a while a go.
       I agree with free speech to a point. I don’t agree in being allowed to spout vile things about others that can cause harm. In Australia free speech is not allowed to be discrimating in any way. I like that.

       I don’t know where the term comes from, we have right wing government and left wing, one is more authorative and left wing more socialist ideals. Though even in Australia both of the major parties are more right wing, one being more so than the other. In the US right now the Republican party if very right wing, more so than the democrats. Though your reference to Mao is interesting, yes he was very left wing, but the party didn’t stay that way. China’s communist party is not communist at all, it is a dictatorship. One thing I see here a lot is that American’s don’t understand what communism is. In a communist country you would never have people starving or homeless. Everyone is looked after and cared for. Wealth is shared. Communism would be amazing, but unfortunately it can never exist because we as humans are too greedy and too many people want power. That is my understanding of it from the way Carl Marx described it.

       Thank you Leo for your thoughts.

    2. Leanne, here’s an interview from a women that grew up in the Cultural Revolution in China that you might find interesting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIay3uL17Jg

    3. I may have got some stuff wrong about Mao, I know a lot of people died in China from stavation in the 1940’s and I thought he was responsible for it. Though I am told it was because of famine. It is very hard to get lots of information. Though I still stand by countries that are meant to be communist are not, like Russia and North Korea.

    4. Utopia is the Greek for “no place.” 😉
       I think we have a lot of authoritarianism going on all over the world today. We always need to stay vigilant whatever our governments call themselves. Good to discuss … take care

    5. I think you are right Leo, the future of the world scares me to death, I hate to think what it will be like in about 50 years. It is a good discussion, thank you.

54. I do love the blogging format. It is certainly a slower more relational community than the others. I am returning to it after a few years doing precious little in the way of social media other than my daily devotional video for may church which gets seen by about 11 people so…yeah for me the sites have always been about connection and I think this is about the best way to make those.

    1. That is a great way of putting it Joseph, I love the blogging community there are so many great people here. I know a lot of people who have stopped blogging and I hope they get back to it as well. Thank you for sharing your experience Joseph.

55. I don’t do social media except FB for my photos. Even then, FB won’t let me post anything with my blog URL. Now, I seldom post photos to FB.

    1. I can’t understand why FB won’t let you share your blog URL, that is really weird. I’ve never had a problem, then again I haven’t tried for a while. I just decided it was a good place to stay away from. Thank you Anne.

56. Never had tweets, instagrams, and can’t see any reason to start. Facebook is single images, no comments from me. Really a way to keep touch with people/family from the past. A few private groups that are dedicated to local history interest me.

    In general I think social media has become dark and dangerous, a great place for disinformation and scams. There are plenty of good spots, but they are shrinking.

    I guess by default my blog, my place for photos, is where I will stay. Somehow reasonable people have managed to remain here.

    1. I think if you find it useful Ted then you should use it, I just got sick of the noise on it. There is too much.
       I think you are right about how dangerous and dark it is getting. It is weird to think this thing that was meant to connect people in the end could be the tool that helps destroy us. Hopefully I am exaggerating.

       Yeah I am staying with my blog too. I’ve met so many great people and always meeting new, I like that. I agree, there are many reasonable people here.
       Thank you for your thoughts Ted.

57. When I stumbled across your post on WordPress reader, it was like finding a piece of myself reflected in your words. The realm of social media and I share a complex relationship, one that’s both deeply affectionate and profoundly challenging. My journey through its landscape has been nothing short of a rollercoaster. By the time I was 16, I was out and proud as a lesbian, surrounded by a large circle of friends who celebrated me.

    Back in the day, MySpace was my playground, but unfortunately MySpace didn’t last. My friends eventually connected with me on Facebook, which became the central meeting hub for all of us. However, the moment I shared my truth about being born intersex, the ground beneath me crumbled. All of my friends vanished, and shockingly, so did my family. It turned out that my condition, which was discovered shortly after my birth was a, “family secret”, I wasn’t privy to.

    Instagram once hailed me as an influencer with a staggering 60K+ following. Yet, that platform demanded more than I was willing to give, leaving me emotionally drained and pondering the real value of such virtual acclaim.

    Twitter, on the other hand, blessed me with the greatest gift of all—my wife. Our connection flourished there, and my wife and I had a huge following. The day Elon Musk announced that he was taking over the ship, my wife and I decided to part ways with our accounts.

    Our home found solace in YouTube, replacing traditional cable with the creativity of countless talented individuals who entertain, educate, and inspire both my wife and me.

    TikTok, however, is a different story. In my eyes, it’s the epitome of what’s wrong with our digital age, fostering a culture I find deeply troubling.

    In the midst of these relationships with social media platforms, my blog is where I invest all my metaphorical eggs, a space of my own where I can express myself freely, without fear of judgment or censorship. Fortunately, my hosting company values legal content over all else, granting me the freedom to be unapologetically me.

    Thank you for sparking this reflection!

    1. Wow you have an interesting story Thomas and thank you so much for sharing it with us. I’m sorry to hear what happened to you when you shared your truth. That sort of thing makes me so angry. Someone asked me once how I would feel if one or both of my daughters came out as lesbian and I said why would I care, it wouldn’t matter to me. They should be who they want to be. I believe that to be the case with all. Well except maybe for murders or people who commit crimes, they should be in jail.

       Instagram was so much work, I didn’t have that type of following, but it was hard word to get where I was. OMG Twitter is ruined now. Like you I deleted my account straight away, but my husband kept his, but recently has left it as well. We believe in the scientists who say we are ruining the planet for ourselves and any time anything was posted on that all these people would come down on him and others with their psuedo science. He said it wasn’t worth it anymore.

       I totally get the blog space. I love mine too. I have found so many like minded people who I really like and get along with. It has been so good. I’ve met lots of people through it as well. I do feel like I have control over it and I like that.
       You’re welcome and, again, thank you so much for sharing your story.

58. First of all, hi there! Long time reader, first time commenter. lol.

    “At the end of the day, I want a life. I don’t want to spend all my time trying to get people to follow me, so I’ve decided it is a mug’s game and I’m not doing it anymore.”

    I agree with this so much. I’ve also shifted most of my social usage to my blog (and a Tumblr I keep for a little fun). It feels like everywhere else on the Internet exists for the sake of the Internet itself? Like an endless discourse snake eating its tail.

    WordPress feels like a quiet place full of regular people with hobbies and passions. And it’s the last place on the Internet where people are actually interested and inspired by their real lives instead of trying to live in the Internet.

    Thanks for this post. It really hit home.

    1. Nice to hear from you Rob. Glad you left a comment.

       You have made some really interesting points. I hadn’t thought about the idea of doing it for the sake of the internet, but I think you are right.

       I love WP, I have made so many friends from it, here in Australia and from overseas. I made friends from Instagram, but they were fairly superficial and I don’t see or hear from them at all now.
       You’re welcome Rob, and thank you for your thoughts.

59. Social media has become social hype. Like you, I dislike TikTok, and quit Twitter. I still use Instagram and Facebook, but like you said, they are cluttered with everything except what you want to see. Your blog posts are easy to read, and have some great photos on them. I’ve been doing a blog, but I am not very successful with it. Keep doing what you are doing.

    1. That is so true, you have to slog your way through the muck to find what you are looking for. Thank you for what you said about my blog, it is something I have always enjoyed. Though I worry that the time of blogs has passed, mine was a lot more successful 10 years ago. Though having said that with people turning away from other social media platforms I do wonder if blogs will get popular again. I hope you are using the reader, that is the key to help you find success. It does take time, but I have never found the mentality here that if I follow you and you don’t follow back then I will unfollow. Keep going Rick.

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