I never really thought I would say this, but I really hate social media these days. I have realised a few things and there are other things that I have learned as well.
Whether you are talking about Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or any other ones we know it can be fun to catch up with people on them, but we must admit there are darker sides to them as well. I’m not sure that social media has been that great for mankind.
I’ve never really been into Twitter, couldn’t really see the point of it for a visual artist. However, I have used Facebook and Instagram a lot. I know there are others, but I never really got into them. Everyone is on TicTok now, but I can’t be bothered with it.
No matter how you look at it there is always something new coming out. We can’t keep up with it all.
Like so many I got caught up in the hype of it all. I was told when I started photographing cycling, that along with the blog, I should start a page on Facebook and be active on that site. I did do that, but it never really made sales or helped. In the end, all I saw was picture after picture that I owned that had been stolen and put up on other people’s FB accounts. It was frustrating.
Instagram seemed like a fun way to just share photos. It didn’t require a lot of effort, or so I thought.
Social Media for Business
This is something we have all seen. Using it to help you make money.
To do this you pretty much have to be on it all the time. You need to be looking at other people’s accounts, liking what they do and commenting. It was a full time job pretty much. I would get up at 6 am to start and then keep going on the computer until almost 8 pm at night. There was constant planning and working out what I would post. I had photos that I needed to work on so I could post something each day. In a nutshell, it was exhausting.
Then there were the courses. Do this course to help teach you how to make money on Instagram or Facebook. I spent so much money on courses. I really was a sucker as it took me some time to realise that the only people really making money on these platforms were the people running the courses to teach people how to make money. I did everything they told me and none of it helped.
It really was a mug’s game and I was a mug, that’s for sure.
Being Social on the Social Media Platforms
It also started to get harder and harder to find people who you were friends with as they constantly changed the algorithms.
When I started on Facebook when you went to your feed you would see what your friends were doing, now you see sponsored posts, another word for ads, you see recommendations or posts they think you might like and if you are lucky you might see something your friends have posted.
I would have friends saying did you see the photos I posted and I would have to say no, then go and try and find them. It was ridiculous. Or my feed would be full of what about 10 “friends” had posted and not the rest. I gave up.
Instagram is going the same way. So many things in your feed that you don’t want to see. I get they have to make money, but I think many of us would pay to not have to see that like you can do on YouTube.
Then on top of that with Instagram, probably the thing I hated the most is this follow-for-follow crap. If people follow you and you don’t follow them back then they unfollow you. It drives me mad. When you went to their sites, on the rare occasions I did, you would see that you had nothing in common. It meant you had to always try and find new followers to keep your numbers up. It was a lot of work, too much really.
I’ve noticed it here on the blog as well at time. I get asked by so many people if I will follow them. How many people can you really follow? I follow people who I have got to know a little.
What changed
The pandemic is what changed everything for me.
When the pandemic hit and my husband started working from home I had to give up my desk for him to use for his work. That meant I also didn’t have access to my computer anymore. I had a desktop computer with a 27-inch monitor. He now uses the monitor and my computer just sits on the desk. I power it up every now and then to get photos off it, but that is about it.
When he started working from home I didn’t really have a computer. I had a basic surface pro which drove me nuts because I didn’t have a desk. Plus at that time we had decided I would give up the business, so spending all day on the computer and trying to keep up with social media was not an option anymore. I did get a very nice laptop, but by the time I had I wasn’t in the habit of using social media anymore.
I was so happy to stop it all. I don’t feel like I have missed anything if I’m honest.
The Dark Side of Social Media
I can’t help thinking that in many ways social media hasn’t been a great thing as it has enabled many people with very silly ideas to meet other people with those same silly ideas. Instead of them being just on their own they have found whole communities and let’s face it, some of those groups are really bad.
My brother loved Facebook, and probably still does. He gets all his news from it. He posts things that are not true, but thinks they are. He never bothers to fact-check what he is posting. Some things are really racist and bigoted, but he thinks it is fine, you know because he isn’t a racist or bigot. It doesn’t matter how many times you tell him that it does mean he is those things, he doesn’t listen. He is so caught up in the Qanon stuff that it is so scary.
Of course, the biggest problem with all this is once you start going down these rabbit holes the search engines continue to show you the same crap so they never get to see the truth.
I think that is really dangerous.
The other thing I don’t like is the anonymity of it all. People won’t be horrible to your face, but online where no one really knows who they are, they can be downright evil.
Cyberbullying is so bad. Any type of bullying is, but when it is coming from somewhere, or someone, you don’t know, it can be worse. I hate hearing stories about young girls who are bullied online because of the way they look. Or LGBTQ+ people getting it as well. It shows up a whole new world of hatred. I don’t understand hate just because of how someone looks or loves. Sure hate someone because they are a horrible human being, but not because of shallow reasons like their looks or who they love.
Me and Social Media Now
There isn’t much to say really. I keep my FB account but really only so I can use messenger. My blogs automatically get posted on one of my FB pages, but I don’t do anything else with it.
Instagram I still use, but rarely. I post more on my macro page, but still not very often. I have better things to do with my time than spend hours and hours on social media.
I know the blog is a form of it, but it has always seemed different. There are no ads, and you see what I post. I hope you do anyway.
I do use YouTube, but I have really only ever used it for you guys here on my blog. I think if I could post videos directly to the blog that is what I would be doing, but I can’t, so I use YouTube.
That’s it now.
I had a friend tell me about something recently and I said I didn’t know anything about it. She told me it was all over FB and IG. I said I don’t use them anymore so I hadn’t seen anything.
I probably miss out on things, but I don’t feel like I do. I am living my life more in the present in the real world and I am so much happier.
How about you, are you still using social media? How do you find it?
Greetings Leanne. I tripped onto this because of Anne Sandler’s post about Bren and I wanted to find your original post about it. I agree 100% with your comments about SM and have pretty much gone the same way. I left instagram and only use FB because some of my followers use it to see my blog posts which go there automatically. Candidly though, I’m a bit more worried about AI and its impact on photography. Those of us who take it seriously are going to be saddened when people start using techniques like those in the new photoshop beta. You’ll never know what’s real and what’s not. It seems with every good bit of news there’s a downside that many will take advantage of. I wouldn’t want to be a photographer depending on it for a living as it becomes ever-easier to simply cheat. What a world!
Hello Tina. I have my blogs automatically posted to FB as well, but that is about all I use it for these days. I can’t help thinking that we are facing the same thing with AI and photography that we did when digital photography started. I guess it really depends on what you want your photos for. I love processing them and seeing what I can do with them, so I can’t see myself using AI to process. I haven’t even looked at the photoshop beta, I’m not interested. It is a strange world we are moving into, though one wonders with what is happening to our climate whether it will end up moot as we struggle to survive and try to find food. Who knows. Thank you for your thoughts Tina.
Nice
Thanks
Hello, thank you for a great post! Social media has always made me feel uncomfortable. I enjoy the opportunity for connection but sometimes don’t think it’s worth it! I’m always undecided, always one foot in and one foot out with sm 😊
I was all the way in, but now I think I am pretty much out. Glas you liked the post and thank you for sharing your experiences.
Here’s a picture poem I did with another photographer I find very stimulating:
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02ssnMmTcFF2zSCEG3DjnqKGxaim1i7MdCs4ysrTZoiZDrdhP27B2Zg5cQN2teNNWRl&id=100063484303002
Not sure what you did.
Awww the link didn’t work. There are a couple of featured posts at the top of the feed on my FB page Nikki Wordsmith.
I’ll have a good look at your work and see what inspiration arises 🤓
Yep, let me know too. 😀
Will do 🤓
😀
My god you are good. It would be great to do a picture poem with you? 🤓
I have had others do that, so if you want, go ahead. JUsts credit me with the image.
Thank you.
Will do. Thank you 😊
😁😁
First of all, thanks for the tip about YouTube. Before I had simply put the written link when posting some of my songs on WordPress. Now I know if I upload them onto You Tube, they can succssfully uploaded onto WordPress. I share many of your views. I do have Facebook but simply publish my WordPress articles there, basically to share with friends. I also belong to a little group where we share photos on a daily basis on different themes. We have got to know each other and as a community of photographers it is a friendly and very supportive, comfortable place to be. I am enjoying the experience of combining photos and stories on WordPress, but have a clear idea thatb this is simply a means for my own expression of ideas etc. I do not have many followers, nor does that bother me. However I am extremely appreciative of those who have taken time to look and comment on my posts. As you say the mania for likes and followers rather destroys the real joy which simply comes from the process of creating things. It has been very interesting reading about your experiences,and of course, enjoying the images you share. Continue walking down the road to an ever changing horizon!
You’re welcome, glad to have helped. That is great that you have that group for your photography, sounds like a good place to be.
That’s great to hear that you enjoy WordPress and what you can do there. Sadly I don’t think WP is like it used to be, many people no longer blog which is sad. I agree, you have to love what you are doing. I have to admit I like sharing what I do and helping others if I can. Thank you so much, I like that road and hope to keep going down it.
Now this is really creepy! Point by point, you’ve read my mind 😊😇 Have FB only for family and closest friends. Learned quickly to delete, delete, delete LOL I mean really.. do I have a need to know your every move in the course of a day or 350 followers? I think not. Love your work!
I think many of us are feeling the same way about it all, that is what I’ve discovered. Thank you for contributing to the discussion.
Well, FB here in Canada is state-run. The government passed a bill about what is allowable. I’ve received several restrictions for speaking my mind. Our group against covid mandate shut down. FB stopped giving notifications of my post. One group I joined died down. I still use FB.
I haven’t heard of that happening, will have to check into it. Thanks for sharing.
You do realise I live in a completely different country, so the things you are talking about I don’t know about. In Australia we haven’t had the election rigging, and we don’t have free speech like the USA, in fact in Australia we don’t have rights in the same way you do. So forgive me for not reacting the way you expected, and please if this is how you are going to be, don’t come back.
How did I silence you? I haven’t deleted your comments, they are there, so you haven’t been silenced. I actually thought you were someone who felt the same as me, but now I’m not so sure.
I am politically aware, but I try very hard to not bring it to my blog. This is about my photography and not my political beliefs. I will not delete your existence, I refuse, you will not blame me for silencing you.
Then why are you still here.
Sorry but I need wordpress to see what you are saying, so once they have then I will delete you.
Just as well I don’t believe in that crap.
Yes, I agree with you.
Last week, I decided to delete my Instagram account since I didn’t believe it was very useful and because I was receiving weird, idiotic messages from strangers. Avoiding social media, in my opinion, is preferable.
I haven’t deleted any yet, but I don’t really use them either. The messages are annoying. I get lots of ones to promote stuff, but of course turns out I have to buy it first but with a nice discount. No thank you.
Thanks for your thoughts.
I have never used any of the social media platforms that you mention, and have no plan to do so.
I don’t think that is necessarily a bad thing. Thank you.
Really great post and thanks for sharing!
I’ve tried all the social media’s; myself and my wife deleted our Facebook accounts due to the amount of negativity and ads on there! I used to have a personal instagram account, but Mark Zuckerberg has ruined that too, there’s an ad every 2 posts and it drove me mad! Twitter is just full of hate, and TikTok, a Chinese made abomination, is damaging our kids! My own stepdaughter and her friends insist on using it as a reference for factual knowledge and events and my heart sinks every time!
I sell (I try) wildflower seeds via my WordPress site, and have tried some social media sites to promote it, but that’s not going well at the moment, Facebook kept disabling my new account due to suspicious activity – I was only trying to upload a new header image, so I gave up and deleted the FB again!
If all the social media’s disappeared then it wouldn’t be a bad thing, people would just move on and live their lives again.
There is so much negativity on FB, I think it has that reputation now as well. I hate the ads on IG, as you said there are far too many of them. Oh yeah, I think the whole what is the truth has got so distorted by all these things now.
I have tried selling photos too, but never had any luck, I don’t bother now.
I don’t think I would miss SM at all. Actually I don’t. Thank you David for all your experiences.
They do, I am very careful about telling about my ideas for exactly that reason. I always wait until I am ready.
Hahaha, good point, thank you so much.
So very true, in many ways it really is, like we are all that important.
I had the pushing of content and being forced to see things I don’t want to see. It is nuts.
Yeah, I’m pretty much the same now, I am enjoying my life and doing what I can to help the planet as well.
Thank you.
Definitely pushing propaganda, that’s for sure. I don’t know about rigging elections or free speech.
Extraordinary
Thank you.
Notice you have lots of comments. Even though I don’t have so much time for blogs lately, I too felt I wanted to support what you say. Use Instagram intermittently but find the external control on what you see so frustrating. At least blogs still give you all the posts the people you follow post as they post them. Interesting about you spending so much time in the hopes of making money. I think I realised what you described if I wanted to use Instagram for advertising and as I could never do that am not sure why I am there, except for occasionally seeing pretty pictures. A friend who encouraged me onto Instagram said she like it better than blogging but I am yet to agree with her.
I get that it happens sometime, or a lot, you have to have a life away from it all. I totally agree with you about blogs, and the posts from those you follow. I never paid for Instagram, wasn’t something I wanted to do, though I did on FB. I did use IG mainly to show my work, like a portfolio. No, I think blogging is much better and I think you develop better relations here than Instagram. I met people through IG, but none of them are still in my life, but I have many friends now because of the blog. Thank you for your thoughts RJ.
I use social media only for posting my blogs. And when I have the time i check my friends Facebook pages for updates on their lives.
That sounds fair enough Nora, I think it is healthy way of doing it as well. Thank you for sharing.
And as I forgot to mention it the ‘Pear’ shots at the start of this post are seriously good.
Thank you Brian. I need to do more images like that.
Social media is annoying. I have left Facebook more than once. I’m considering doing so again. I only go on Instagram to look at posts by musicians I follow. I may discontinue that, too. I’m on Twitter but have almost no followers and no one comments on what I post. I’m on mastodon, too. I liked mastodon better before all the ex-Twitter people arrived. The content has really suffered since. I don’t want to argue politics. I live with that and hate it (my husband is a political blogger and after 30 years of listening to the hatred, he drove me to the opposite side).
I left and didn’t go back. I had the same experience with twitter. I’ve never heard of Mastodon, but then again I’m not looking for anything new either. That’s interesting about the people switching to it from twitter. My husband is into politics, luckily we have the same views. Just my opinion, it is good to know what is going on, but we don’t have to have it all the time. I don’t like hatred. Thank you for sharing your thoughts Donna.
The only social media I use is Facebook and only for photos. At least now that’s what I used it for. I started using it to promote my business. Social media is also why I shut down my business. I also think social media is dangerous for kids and teens. You have to be so careful. I keep getting friend requests from people I have no connection with and either report them or just delete the request. What’s truly funny is that Facebook will not let me connect to my blog post any longer, saying someone reported my URL. You can’t even appeal or find out who! So I’m with you Leanne!
I can’t be bothered with FB anymore. I hate the feed and trying to work out what people are doing. Yeah, the business aspect was a total flop for me. All it did was cost me money and I didn’t get the return on it. Oh absolutely dangerous for them. I used to get all the friend requests, but I have made it private, I hope, so people can gather information from me and people can’t find me. I don’t know about the blog post stuff, I do it to a page I have which is different, but you are right, you can’t talk to them anymore. YOu can’t talk to many companies anymore, it is getting harder and harder.
Thank you Anne, it is a tough thing these days.
I can totally relate you this. I have been working on building a part time business and everything on line is pointing to social media to make it work. I was in the same spot you were, all my time being taken by planning and posting and curating and it was so exhausting. I have found that I just don’t relate to the way the big platforms work. I do like Tic Tok because I need to be able to show skills and I still try to use Instagram but I am just not going to buy into the process so it is more of a networking thing for me rather than a money making thing. And that is kind of the point for me. I think we forgot that we get to decide how we use these platforms. We don’t have to confirm to how we are told to use them. They won’t work as intended, maybe, but at least I am not running myself ragged for something that is not bringing me joy. That’s probably a lot, but I am really glad you wrote this, I am totally with you.
Social media is so much work. I have never looked at TicTok, I just don’t want to get into another platform. I like YouTube more and the short stuff drives me nuts a bit. We can decide in some ways, but sometimes those decisions are taken away from us. I mean if it is just about put up photos and nothing else is required, I would be for that, unfortunately that isn’t the case. I think it is what they keep shoving in our faces that I don’t like. If you have found a way to use it that is good for you, then that is great Deidre. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
For me, Facebook is on a very low ebb, I don’t post anything anymore and I only follow a few good acquaintances. I only use Instagram (now also owned by Meta) to regularly post some photos that you can also see here on my blog. There are a lot of people on Instagram who follow me there but don’t do that on my blog.
I tried twitter but nothing at all. I mainly use YouTube to look for good practical tutorials (which often have to do with the development of my WordPress blog. No social media here except for a few strict photo sites such as Flickr, yoPic and 500px.
I agree about FB, it is a very low ebb and getting lower. Instagram has been owned by FB/Meta for a quite a few years now. I use IG in much the same way. I just keep forgetting to post stuff.
Twitter is a hard one. I couldn’t get into it. I quite like YouTube and have found a few people I like to follow. I probably use it the most besides the blogging. I don’t even use those photo sites anymore. I love my photography, but now that I don’t want to make a business out of it I am content to just do it here.
Thank you Picpholio.
I do Twitter, but more as a reader than a poster and I’m very careful about who I follow (though post Elon Musk it seems to be going down the same path as FB et al. I have stopped using Instagram more recently. I find I want to be more selective these days about the photographers I follow. Too much scrolling through too many images started to discourage me from taking my own photos for some reason.
I have heard Musk has sort of ruined it now. My husband is like you, only used Twitter but he said the stuff that comes up in his feed now is now what he is interested in or wants to see. Oh that is sad that you get discouraged, I hope I don’t do that. Though one of the best ways to improve is to watch what others are doing. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Your photos are so lovely.
Thank you.
Hi Leanne.
Spoken from my heart and I could not agree more.
I have been urged to use Social Media more for business.
Apart from LinkedIn I yet have to see sales or even increased enquiries.
But what I agree even more so with you about, is the undermining effect on our social norms and all the, even officially sanctioned, misinformation.
Das it help humanity? Very questionable. Of course, there are instances where social media has created good. But the bad may outweigh it.
It is like a drug. Once started, more and more is needed.
Keep up the good work. I really like your photography.
Norbert
Hiya Norbert.
I never really got into Linkedin, couldn’t see how it would work for me. Though I know what you mean about social media and no sales or enquiries, I found the same thing.
I think as we look back on the effects of social media we are starting to see that it has had a negative effect on those norms. I really don’t like that.
I totally agree about the drug part. I have moved away from it and I don’t miss it.
Thank you so much Norbert, and I’m glad to hear that.
Great piece Leanne and so close to how I feel about the state of the world” or should that read, the state of the USA. Facebook used to be a fun place but as you mentioned, has now turned into a place for politics and every other form of complaint. Incidentally, my worst moments is when they devote a whole day on people who have lost their pets. I would literally sit there with tears streaming down my face as I read them. Now, I do not read them and if it is Pet Memorial day, never get past the first post and turn it off. Keep writing as I enjoy your blog.
Thank you Francis. I agree about the politics and complaints. The politics are not mine. Oh no, you fall down that rabbit hole. Yeah not good. I tend not to watch them either, on anything. I will do my best to keep writing Francis, thanks again.
WP is all I do, Leanne. I don’t want to have the time to be on other sites–it sounds like it has gotten so very strange and I don’t have the desire to see what’s ‘out there.’ WordPress is my fun place.
I don’t think you are missing anything Lois, I think you have made a good decision. Thank you.
I so relate with what your saying here! After years, I closed up my Facebook account so as just to keep messenger; so all my Facebook posts, mostly photos, is still there should I decide to reopen it. But it’s been three months now and I have no desire whatsoever to go back. My partner tells me of all the people on there he follows that keep getting hacked. I dropped twitter a couple years ago, and just have Instagram only; I follow photographers, and artists/art pages, and so far that’s working. I post one photo there every day. Social media is getting out of control.
Thank you Angeline, I only use FB for messenger now. It is hard and I know I want to spent time engaging with real people, I love it here on the blog and really, this is where I have met the most people. Hacking is definitely a big problem. You sound a bit like me really. I dropped twitter when Musk purchased it, I didn’t like the direction it was going in. I wish I could disagree, but it can only get out of control if we keep using it, maybe. I hope that is the case.
I completely get how it feels , and besides my own impressions, these same words and experiences like yours are what I always keep hearing.
For me personally, I love to follow your photography here on WordPress – making me not seek you out at other places because this one, for me, is perfect. I also worry how I will come off to fellow artists and photographers when I follow them on the Social Medias – which I do not use. so many intricacies that are unnecessary to it.
I am thankful I get to see your photos here on WP still and hope will be able to in the future as well.
I suspect many people are turning away from social media these days.
That is lovely to hear Oloriel, yeah I think if you subscribe you get an email from me when I post which makes it easier. I find that I don’t worry about other artists or photographers because if they don’t accept you they aren’t worth knowing. I worry more about political beliefs or religious beliefs, so I have always tried to keep those to myself.
Thank you so much Oloriel. I have no immediate plans to stop, I enjoy it too much.
Blog and email.
More than enough if you ask me Brian. Thank you.
Social Media has not truly helped humanity at all, Leanne, I agree with so many great points you’ve made in this post. I do enjoy Instagram but have considered leaving it behind because it takes up so much of my time.
My account is private which does give me some control but basically, it’s all a waste of time. I don’t blame you one bit for disliking social media. I have never had a FB account and never will, it is a hive of rotten politics and behavior. I’m surprised that I am the only comment so far.
I see you on Instagram when I do go and look, though that is happening less and less. It is fine if you want to use it and can put up with the other stuff, I’m just getting frustrated with it.
You are the only one John, I just wait to approve them so I can respond at the same time. YOu really did hit the nail on the head with FB, it is a hive of all that, I will stay away. Thank you for your thoughts John.
I hate social media too. For the same reasons. I still like WordPress. It is much more personal. I wish people who use it for free would pay for an account so I am not insulted by advertising.
I sort of use WordPress, I use it on my own website, so there is never advertising. I agree that it is more personal, there is just something so much better about it. Thank you Sherry.
Sherry, some people can’t afford the cost of the no advertising plans. Which is why I use Blogger and eliminate the unwanted ads.
As someone who has spent countless hours scrolling through various social media platforms, I remember feeling of being utterly exhausted by it all. The constant barrage of curated content, endless comparisons to other people’s seemingly perfect lives, and the pressure to constantly present a flawless image of ourselves can be overwhelming.
At some point, I realized that the time I spent on social media was taking away from the real connections and experiences in my life. Instead of mindlessly scrolling through my feed, I could be spending time with loved ones, pursuing my passions, or simply enjoying the present moment.
I know what you mean Thomas, it is exhausting if you are trying to keep up. I found the comparisons with the photography like that, always trying to do better images so more people would like them, now I just do them for myself. The perfect lives, I mean who has them. Remember all the food or dinner images. People trying to make their lives more interesting than they were.
I found the same thing, time to live life in the real world. Thank you for sharing Thomas.
Interesting thoughts. Yes, managing multiple social media accounts is like a full time job. 😅 Need to hire someone to do if needed. 😅 Personally I don’t like most of social media, quit FB in 2011, never created an Instagram account. My main one is Tumblr (since 2014), and I’m still keeping Twitter, as some of my friends overseas are there. That said, my website is more important than all the social media combined!
Full time job with overtime I think as well. I never got into Tumblr, my daughters were, but I never did. I cancelled my Twitter account when Musk took it over, not that I really used it much. My husband does and he hates what is coming up in his feed all the time now. I agree, my website is as well. Thank you Joey.
Another thing I don’t like is that social media is just a duplicate of my website in a way. I don’t see the point of posting the same photos everywhere. Some people do it to increase their chance of getting noticed, but I just feel it’s not worth it. Even if we achieve a fame online, it doesn’t mean that the money will follow, so I don’t even want to try hard. 😅
Yeah that is a really good point. What is fame anyway, it seems to be the elusive thing so many are trying for. I say do what you love and people will follow.
Indeed! At the end of the day, even nobody follows me, I’ll still do what I love to do (photography + website), anyway. 😅
That is how it should be Joey, totally agree.
I quit using facebook in 2012 or so. I picked a little at Instagram when I started thinking of getting more serious about photography, but it was too late: by then it was facebook and I never got into it.
I tried out Twitter when it launched and couldn’t see the point of it then. I definitely couldn’t see the point when it was the Leftist club of Lies; now that Elon owns it, I still can’t be bothered to give a shit.
TikTok is CCP-driven propaganda via TenCent; it’s among the worst of the lot. It’s designed to addictively entertain idiots by showing them other idiots.
I avoid Google products too; the Goo-accounts I have are solely used to access the play store on my phone… An Android I hate using and have un-Goo’d as much as possible… I avoided Goodroid for as long as I could. I’m still on the fence about going back to my feature phone; but I’m sort of addicted myself to sharing photos with my photog-sister… So even I, technology hater that I am, have a point of pain I’m willing to tolerate for nonsense justification reasons.
I brought up Google since they own Goo-Tube. I refuse on principle to watch anything with their Shorts hashtag. GooTok? No thanks. I watch GooTube in incognito mode, on a browser that blocks all ads, and I usually only do THAT in that window, so when I close the window, the cookies are wiped and Google can sing for its supper.
No, social media has done absolutely nothing good for society. Which is why it’s been so universally adopted by society. And I’ve resigned myself to the knowledge I’ll be placed in the concentration camps for thought criminals if I live long enough.
Hahahaha I love your description of TikTok Matt, too funny, but also, sadly true.
I don’t really have a problem with Google, well they don’t intrude in my life as much, I do like YouTube, and I like that I can pick and choose what I watch. I don’t mind the shorts, but I hate the way they do them, so I don’t look too often. I am Android as well.
I think you are right about social media, though it has been nice to meet people from all around the world, but my blog has done that. Well I will be joining you in that concentration camp too I suspect.
Thank you Matt.
At least we’ll be in good company.
And if we’re having a good time, we’re winning despite our conditions.
Absolutely, sounds like a party. Let’s hope it never gets to that stage though.
We can hope.
We can.
Thank you for laying all your reasons and thinking out. I see so much of that, but you also opened my eyes to things I hadn’t considered!
That is good Leigh Anne, it is interesting to hear from others. Thank you.
I use SM the same way that you do. I have the same observations as you do. I don’t really care much about it. It’s nice to have but not a necessity. It’s better to just have a nice time with my photographs and my blog.
I agree about it not being a necessity. I think that is great and good to hear you have found it the same as me. Thank you.
People make the world go round, variety is the spice of life it takes all kinds to make the world’s
That’s true, but you don’t need them all turning up on your sm pages.