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Not having any social media


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Social media has become a massive part of life in the Developed World. People use social media to keep in touch with friends, to stay up to date with life events, news, trends etc. Many businesses use social media very successfully, so on paper social networks sound like a good thing.

However, social media has given birth to a new breed of narcissism and the encouragement of the need for validation. My experience of social media (particularly Facebook) is that it is an endless stream of selfies, idiotic rants written by illiterate cretins, pseudo-intellectualism and the same stupid jokes and memes that weren't funny in the first place being flogged to death, re-animated then flogged to death again ("You've heard of Elf on the Shelf...", I'm looking at you). I decided to delete all of my social media accounts a month ago and haven't looked back.

So, does anyone else here not use social media? Is it considered weird not to have any social media accounts these days?

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If it wasn't for the fact I'd moved to Canada I'd probably have done away with my Facebook. I was thinking about this the other day and the only people I really care about and have genuine interest in what they are up to are in my phone contacts. The rest is just filler. The only interest I have in the people I went to school with is the ladies bikini pics come summertime.

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I don't have any social media accounts and never have. Have flirted with the idea of getting them but just can't be arsed tbh. Genuinely amazed that people can have four or five on the go.

Like you say it's just full of attention-seeking narcissists who more often than not will make a complete c**t of themselves on it. It's also unbelieveable how many people get their news from Facebook and actually believe it. A guy I work with (sound guy but gullible as f**k) genuinely believed that Dwayne Johnson got sentenced to 15 years in jail for smuggling steroids into Australia a few months back.

So aye, my life isn't worse for not having it.

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Just now, The Equalizer said:

The only people I really care about and have genuine interest in what they are up to are in my phone contacts.

Yeah, that's exactly the same as me. Everyone I communicate with on a regular basis and actually spend time with has my phone number or email address, so it's not as if I need Facebook to stay in touch with them.

4 minutes ago, Jamaldo said:


Like you say it's just full of attention-seeking narcissists who more often than not will make a complete c**t of themselves on it.

Exactly, and it's a sad indictment of modern society when people who are devoid of intelligence or any obvious talent become "celebrities" through social media just because they act like dicks or expose their flesh.

I actually feel as if my life is enriched by not having social media. Once the apparent need to check social media was eliminated, I found myself more "present" and attentive to my surroundings.

1 minute ago, welshbairn said:

Is this not social media then? Spend far too much time on here without joining anything else.

I personally would not call P&B social media. People might disagree with me, and I know that you could probably call it "social" because it brings Scottish football supporters together and we interact with each other, but I don't think it has the negative aspects that real social media platforms have. 

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I’m sorry but P&B is social media, it’s not even up for debate.

I prefer using forums to speak to people on because I can say what I want and know it won’t affect my real life. Sometimes I bite to posts on Facebook and then my friends/family all see it and quite often I get messages from people when I post so I tend to not really bother with it at all. Facebook is alright for what it is and good for keeping in touch with people but I prefer using twitter for topical information and discussion, I’m not particularly interested in reading up about what people I have only met a handful of times are having for dinner.

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I originally got a facebook account as it was easier to keep in touch with relatives overseas, til i remembered i was actually happy they were overseas and i haven't bothered to use it for that since. These days the only reason i keep a FB account is for updates on various model kit releases and some groups about said model kits, i know i'm a massive geek.

I've had a twitter for about a year now, previously i tried to avoid having one, but its handy for updates on various Youtubers etc. 

I almost never actually use social media to be social, mostly because of my hatred of people.

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Go into any coffee shop and people are all on their phones now. Face to face conversations are reducing and perhaps we're all missing what's really important. Social media is great for keeping in touch with friends who have moved abroad or getting more balanced news. However it's not being used in limitation thus the growth of this oxymoron is Rapido

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2 minutes ago, throbber said:

I’m sorry but P&B is social media

No need to be sorry I don't think. It's nice that you are though ;) 

I agree to a point but it's a forum about a specific interest so the people here have something in common. 

Not just the general day to day mundaneness that is (IMO) the popular social media outlets infested by the "look at me supporting (insert latest disaster)" or look at me totally outraged at (insert latest scandal)" or "here's another cute puppy" so share and like.         LIKE!!!!          LIKE!!!! 

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1 hour ago, John Lambies Doos said:

Go into any coffee shop and people are all on their phones now. Face to face conversations are reducing and perhaps we're all missing what's really important. Social media is great for keeping in touch with friends who have moved abroad or getting more balanced news. However it's not being used in limitation thus the growth of this oxymoron is Rapido

Rapido. 

That takes me back. French bloke going on about euro stuff?

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Throbber is correct P&B is definitely social media.using any objective definition of that term.

Its the only social media site I participate in (on?) though I realise my age makes be an atypical contributor to these discussions.

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I have Twitter. It’s great for getting news, info you really want and being in touch with people you want to speak to. If you are interested in stuff like, say, photography - it’s ideal. I find I need to be disciplined about when I log on. I like the character limit. [Also it’s great for pictures of wee fluffy kittens ] dammit, I was doing really well...

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