Just left social media....

Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by pitviper, Dec 25, 2016.

  1. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    Either that or she's not sure we're human...
     
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  2. KaTrian

    KaTrian A foolish little beast. Contributor

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    I don't think I could do it because of the FB groups I belong to (hobby related). It'd feel like more of a nuisance to terminate my account than 1,5 years of Trump memes flooding my feed or glimpsing political posts (I'll scroll past if Clinton, Brexit, the migration crisis, or Putin are mentioned) every now and then.

    I kind of know how to use Instagram, but that's pretty much it. It's fun to keep in touch with friends who are spread all over the world; old school mates, some people I've "met" over the internet, penpals I've had since seventh grade, my parents...

    I don't really post that much there, like status updates or pictures from get-togethers, let alone selfies. Sometimes I might share a link or a meme I've particularly enjoyed. And I browse pages of somewhat inappropriate nature (which aren't too bad because of FB's policies). What can I say, I'm a meme fiend.

    I like reading people's Goodreads reviews, though. :ohno:
     
  3. Tenderiser

    Tenderiser Not a man or BayView

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    I love my facebook feed. I have very funny friends. :D
     
  4. jim onion

    jim onion New Member

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    Yeah, I haven't deleted my Facebook (yet). I uninstalled Instagram from my phone, but my account still exists. I deleted my Twitter, and uninstalled the app as well about a year ago.

    I've recently joined Minds.com, and that allows me to stay updated on individuals I particularly enjoy, like Sargon of Akkad. A lot of interesting stuff to read on there regarding politics or science, and -- at least for the moment -- it isn't a toxic environment. Really easy to promote your writing on there too.

    I'm subscribed to maybe a dozen YouTube channels. A few gaming ones, a few different podcasts (The Rubin Report, The Joe Rogan Experience)... you don't need to necessarily remove yourself from social media completely.

    But I'd definitely suggest limiting and controlling your exposure. You wouldn't deliberately surround yourself with negative idiots for friends in your real life, unless you're some kind of masochist, so I don't understand why you would want to spend hours scrolling through newsfeeds like that.

    If you want to know what's going on in the world, go and find out--check out some non-mainstream outlets like VICE, and broaden your sources, instead of being spoon-fed like a mentally-handicapped zombie by social media. If you want to keep in touch with your friends, try to organize a vacation to go and see some of them once a year, or even have them come visit you, or call them so you can at least hear their voice, or send them a letter / card sometimes which is a lot more personal.

    Making these surrogate methods of connection your primary source of "connection", is setting the bar so low that not even a contortionist midget can limbo beneath it. The bar is low enough as it is. And it's an intellectual disservice to state that there couldn't possibly be any negative side-effects to it.
     
    Last edited: Jan 2, 2017
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  5. KaTrian

    KaTrian A foolish little beast. Contributor

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    I get my political fill whenever I moderate the debate room, hence I tend to ignore the same topics elsewhere. :bigeek: #triggered.
    Apart from the actual news of course...
     
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  6. jim onion

    jim onion New Member

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    By "actual news", you just mean self-proclaimed, right?
     
  7. KaTrian

    KaTrian A foolish little beast. Contributor

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    I mean news... the free press... that almost obsolete thing that still exists in some places where reporters report shit. :D
     
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  8. jim onion

    jim onion New Member

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    Was just testing to see if you still have control of your faculties after moderating the debate room. Dangerous work.
     
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  9. Malisky

    Malisky Malkatorean Contributor

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    I made a fb account on October. I just leave it open when I'm at the pc and go on with my work. Not so bothersome after all. Maybe because I only got some friends and I don't add people whom I don't have a reason to add. Or maybe because I'm bored of chatting and looking into other peoples lives. Skype is far better for calls.
     
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  10. Krispee

    Krispee Contributor Contributor

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    I just look up BBC site when I want news, I actually tend to go there rather than watch the tv. FB doesn`t have to be used for news feeds and political stuff, I don`t think anyway.
    The other benefit from limiting your time on social media sites is that you actually get to do some work. :p
     
  11. jim onion

    jim onion New Member

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    Yup, just all about moderation really, tailored toward what works for you as a unique individual.
     
  12. Senko

    Senko Member

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    Sorry if this is a stupid question, I´m not really a social media user.
    But I have the idea that, in media like facebook, either you are completely in, or you are completely out, but not in the middle.
    People that can really control their exposure/usage time (like some people in this forum) are really very few.
    Am I right?
     
  13. jim onion

    jim onion New Member

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    I would suspect that as more of the "completely in" people begin to identify issues with their social media experience (assuming they have any issues), they will begin to take measures to moderate it.

    A foreseeable problem, might be that there are individuals who *are* having issues due to social media, but are either in denial or ignorant to it.

    As for the "completely out" group, there are a variety of reasons why those individuals might be in that group. For example, they are of an older generation and do not understand / feel they can't understand the social media world. Or, they may be individuals who simply do not have a need for it. Or they may be people who don't feel like they have enough self-control to use social media in moderation, and therefore exclude themselves from it entirely.

    Generally speaking, the people who are moderating their social media experience, are aware of *both* the positives and the negatives. This is the position more should strive for; the middle way, as opposed to either extreme.

    The reason why I believe this is the position we should strive for, is the fact that it can be difficult to identify whether or not certain problems are *caused* by social media, or if they pre-existed and have been simply *accentuated* by social media.
     
    Last edited: Jan 2, 2017
  14. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    Its easy enough to be in the middle by setting your profile to freinds only and only friending these you actually know
     
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  15. jim onion

    jim onion New Member

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    Well, I think the issues with social media go beyond that.

    There's a lot of interesting information about the sorts of behaviors and mentalities it can promote by design. Vanity; even being anti-social, oddly enough. It varies from person to person, which is what I meant when I said that its moderation has to be tailored toward the individual.
     
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  16. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    Its really about personal responsibility and self control - alcohol doesn't cause alchoholics
     
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  17. jim onion

    jim onion New Member

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    I wasn't just talking about social media addiction or habit. But yes, in terms of addiction, that is correct.

    Doesn't change the fact that alcohol use promotes frowned upon behaviors in certain people, and comes with its own assortment of medical risks, both of which wouldn't exist if the alcohol weren't present. This too depends on the person, and a variety of factors.

    Similarly, social media both accentuates existing problems, as well as causes new ones. And everybody's experience (or lack thereof) with these problems can be different, therefore requiring individually tailored moderation.
     
    Last edited: Jan 2, 2017
  18. Tea@3

    Tea@3 Senior Member

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    But unfortunately social media is considered mandatory if you want to be published and sell books these days. So managing it that tightly would only work if you had no interest in being published.


    That's an interesting comment. By George, I think you are right. Hot or cold, no middle.

    :cool:
     
  19. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    That's for my personal life - when i get to the stage of having a profesional persona business page it will be public and moderated - and idiot trolls who want to talk about racism/sexism/homphobia or whatever will be blocked so we still won't suffer from the sort of utter bollocks that dominates much of SM
     
  20. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    In the same way that not everyone who drinks is either an alcoholic or an utter dickhead when drunk, so not every social media user engages with those who cause these problems and as I said that comes down to personal responsiblity.

    Its pretty much the same with this forum or any other -sure dickheads will get banned by Wrey and co, but the responsibility on how to act is a matter of personal choice. We each choose to be a responsible member, or to be an argumentative dickhead or troll, but its our choice not something that is set upon us.. the same goes for how we use social media
     
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  21. Iain Sparrow

    Iain Sparrow Banned Contributor

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    Don't at all like social media such as Facebook and Twitter. It's all so disconnected and remote. I just don't get why people are so curious about the mostly mundane lives of others.
    Skype is excellent. It's free, easy, works great and is the next best thing to being with the person on the other end. And best of all, it's productive!

    And the other thing I wanted to mention... how is it that the person who started this thread was at once so enthusiastic about this forum and striking up relationships, posted like a whirlwind, and just as quickly disappeared? Flakes. The internet is full of flakes.
     
    Last edited: Jan 2, 2017
  22. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    Assuming its a legit account she is a single mum and was posting more because her kids were at their dads for xmas , which would explain a diminution of posting on their return

    (I say assuming because if it were a puppet/troll it would explain why she appears to be about 25 rather than 44 - but she could just be a genuinely good looking woman so we should be charitable until proven otherwise)
     
  23. Tenderiser

    Tenderiser Not a man or BayView

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    Not true! It's a selling point for you as an author, sure, but by no means mandatory.
     
  24. Krispee

    Krispee Contributor Contributor

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    I don`t think that there is a black and white version of social media here, you don`t have to be all in or all out. I`m connected via facebook and forums and have a couple of art websites etc, but don`t spend an inordinate amount of time on them, that`s all. Granted it can be quite addictive to live virtually in these places but I think if you are disciplined you can touch it without getting burned.

    With regard to social media and writing as a business, isn`t that still a little unproven at this point. I`ve read some books on writers who use SM and believe that it`s imperative that you use those forums to promote yourself. But then there are others who say that it makes no difference at all.
    It`s all very confusing and perhaps still in transition.
     
  25. Rozman

    Rozman Member

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    I left Facebook years ago. Quite the hoop jumping to delete it permanently.
     
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