A life without social media

[macoman]

It's have been 3 years since 2011 that I closed my social media accounts (facebook and Google Plus) and I don't need it. In my job they called me anti-social, and I told them that these websites are just a concern for privacy. The only website that I have a profile its Linkedin and even there my profile is set to be private from the public. I am probably very drastic with my privacy been in the public eyes. What you guys think about it? Do you guys don't care about privacy?

[Nick H. Supervisor]

I use it because I have friends in different countries. It's also easier than phoning each of them to find out how they're doing.

Use it or don't, I don't mind either way.

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

I'm using social media for various reasons. Staying in touch with friends via FB, news via Twitter etc - there are many legitimate use cases for them. 

 

The trick is not to become addicted to them, and to prevent yourself from oversharing. No one needs to know what your daily defecation is classified as on the Bristol stool scale.

[Raa]

I used to use social media very frequently, took a few years break (and deleted all content), but now i'm back.

Nothing too serious though and I won't try to make it serious either. A few of my friends use it excessively and it's seriously annoying when you're just trying to have a good time living it up "IRL", and they're glued to their devices... :/

[Copernic Reporter]

Yes, is about privacy and I think that half of the 'internetz' grown ups doesn't give a damn anymore about FB, Google Plus and similar sites. Spending 6 hours at work just planting and growing crops on FarmVille isn't about being social, is just plain dumb (not me, my ex-colleagues). Remember that friends and friendship existed long time before Facebook and will exist even after wihout any problem and need to be online.

Edited October 18, 2014 by Copernic

[macoman]

Yes, is about privacy and I think that half of the 'internetz' grown ups, doesn't give a damn anymore about FB, Google Plus and other similar sites. Spending 6 hours at work just planting and growing crops on FarmVille isn't about being social, is just plain dumb (not me, my ex-colleagues). Remember that friends and friendship existed long time before Facebook and will exist even after wihout any problem and need to be online.

I think the same way... also in my department from my job, does not allow to surf social media during work time. But some workers don't give a damn about it.

[MikeChipshop Member]

If you don't like it, don;t want to use it or have fears for your privacy, then don;t use it. Plain and simple.

 

It's not a massive life choice, it's nothing to proud of, either using or not using social media. It's a thing that we can use if we want too.

People banging on about not using it are as bad as people banging on about using it.

[T3X4S]

Correct me if Im wrong, but you can use social media without devulging a ton of personal info. 

I dont understand the privacy issue -  one can only access things you put out there -- so its like a gun pointed at you and you supplied the ammo - only you to blame.

[macoman]

Correct me if Im wrong, but you can use social media without devulging a ton of personal info. 

I dont understand the privacy issue -  one can only access things you put out there -- so its like a gun pointed at you and you supplied the ammo - only you to blame.

True but you never can trust a website like facebook... they are famous of been hijacked in the past, don't understand how someone will trust facebook with their settings.

[compl3x]

I applaud your willpower to resist social media sites and the fact you value your privacy, macoman (Y) . Far, far too many people freely give out their private info to practically anyone or any site that asks, usually for very little benefit. Even people who are otherwise tech-savvy do this.

 

I could go into an entire rant about how foolishly people treat their privacy and how ignorant most people are to the dangers of exposing every single aspect of your life to the internet, but I won't bore everyone.

[Hum]

I don't have social media except for maybe Yahoo :p

[goretsky Supervisor]

Hello,

 

Privacy is important to me, but so is collecting the scams, malware, abuses of consumer trust and violations of law that social media generates.

 

 

Regards,

 

Aryeh Goretsky

(my day job is as a security researcher). 

[+InsaneNutter MVC]

It's nice to have Facebook to keep in touch with friends and family I might only get to see once or twice a year.

 

Within my circle of friends we have a group chat on Facebook to plan doing things at the weekend. I personally like Facebook more for Facebook Messenger, messages can be sent from a web browser or phone. So when on the PC at home or work I can easily respond and see previous messages no matter where I sent the message from. Plus everyone seem's to be on Facebook these days and have the mobile app, so its pretty much replaced text messaging for me.

 

You don't have to give your life to social media to find it useful, all i have on Facebook is my name, some pictures and where I graduated university from. I dont feel the need to add my place of work, where i live or any other more personal info. I probably only do a couple of status updates a month too, again i don't feel the need to be updating everyone on boring little things no one would care about anyway.

 

I don't think been on social media or not is anything to be proud of either way, it can be a useful tool, however also a great time waster. Just like having a mobile phone it's what ever you make it be.

[duoi Veteran]

Friend of mine made this video that has gone pretty viral. Fairly relevant to this topic: 

 

[Krome]

I, too, have friends and family that I keep in contact with.  I use an invention called "email" and "phone".  Used to use ICQ and Windows Messenger to chat but looks like the corporation is too greedy and control those chat system.  Now I am only use email and texting.  To OP.  Wasn't it LinkdIn was hacked and they got tons of passwords from the accounts there?

 

Correct me if Im wrong, but you can use social media without devulging a ton of personal info. 

I dont understand the privacy issue -  one can only access things you put out there -- so its like a gun pointed at you and you supplied the ammo - only you to blame.

T3X4S buddy, once you create a social media account, all the info about you is there for the picking.  One of my relative made a facebook account and then went on the made another one and spot something very odd.  Her phone number was on the other account when she didn't even give that info out.

 

 

[Skiver Veteran]

T3X4S buddy, once you create a social media account, all the info about you is there for the picking.  One of my relative made a facebook account and then went on the made another one and spot something very odd.  Her phone number was on the other account when she didn't even give that info out.

 

I'd love to know how that's possible? If I don't enter my phone number, how does Facebook suddenly know it? If they linked the app via a mobile then sure I get that. But that information can still be "hidden" from the public and even friends if you spend the time to go through your privacy settings.

 

I know my mobile number is against my FB profile but not even my friends can see my mobile number. If someone doesn't already have it they can ask me.

[cork1958]

Simply put, I totally despise any of those socially diseased sites. Have never and will never use them. :x

 

If we didn't have them, maybe our kids would be a little smarter.

 

Even though I don't have any accounts, I see people's stuff that do and it's flat out nauseating what they post, at times. Talk about people who love to watch cute little kitten videos!

[T3X4S]

I, too, have friends and family that I keep in contact with.  I use an invention called "email" and "phone".  Used to use ICQ and Windows Messenger to chat but looks like the corporation is too greedy and control those chat system.  Now I am only use email and texting.  To OP.  Wasn't it LinkdIn was hacked and they got tons of passwords from the accounts there?

 

T3X4S buddy, once you create a social media account, all the info about you is there for the picking.  One of my relative made a facebook account and then went on the made another one and spot something very odd.  Her phone number was on the other account when she didn't even give that info out.

I understand that your friends account was cross referenced somehow with the previous account.  But one can have a fb account and not give any personal info.  Facebook wont go to 3rd party resources to get the info , so if its not entered by you, it wont be online.

My father decided to use facebook, I set up his account with the minimum info, there is really nothing online about him in fb.  He is linked with various business journals, articles, even patents and landmark lawsuits, but none of it makes its way to his fb account.

Simply put, I totally despise any of those socially diseased sites. Have never and will never use them. :x

 

If we didn't have them, maybe our kids would be a little smarter.

 

Even though I don't have any accounts, I see people's stuff that do and it's flat out nauseating what they post, at times. Talk about people who love to watch cute little kitten videos!

I dont use twitter, and never post stupid updates in facebook.  My status updates in facebook are usually just quotes or just quick comments about something -- never "I am eating spaghetti" kinda of crap.

Actually, my quotes are usually Richard Feynman quotes, or other physicists, or anti-religion stuff.

 

 

[spaceelf]

I feel like I should point out that forums are social media.

[The Evil Overlord]

I sort of agree with some sentiments shared here, I don't Social Network, have no Social Networking accounts, and Try to keep as minimal as possible online footprint, not because I'm paranoid, but because I never saw the attraction in it, in the first place, I've had friends explain it to me, and so on, and my response was always the same, the phone, email, or a text message, or in the case of overseas relatives, Skype (although I haven't used it in a while)

(does Skype count as social networking? I only used to use it because msn messenger was closed down)

[The Evil Overlord]

I feel like I should point out that forums are social media.

I understand your statement, and I can see how it has evolved.

[macoman]

I feel like I should point out that forums are social media.

That in some way is true, however unlike facebook. You don't have the crap you found in there.

[exotoxic]

I don't have social media except for maybe Yahoo :p

 

Neowin is social media.

[astropheed Veteran]

I have no issues with Social Media. I use it to communicate with my Family back in Canada. I don't care if people stalk my page. I don't care if they look at my photos. I don't care if they see that I enjoy Big Bang Theory or that my Wife is smoking hot.

 

I have my privacy settings set so the information I don't want out is hidden. If you need to set your privacy settings to the same, here is how you do it:

 

1) Don't put private information online.

2) Repeat as necessary.

 

 

Is it because people are making money off of you using a product? You decide what goes on it. You decide who is your friends. How is any of that wrong?

 

The whole, "If you're not paying for it, you're the product" is bologna at best. You're using a product and they're profiting off that in one way or another. It's not "free", it never was, nothing is. We learned this when we were five.

 

If it's purely privacy. Do you think not joining Facebook is keeping them out of the loop? They still know things about you. If you have friends who have taken your picture and tagged non-linking name then Facebook has a record of you. It also clearly has facial recognition software and if they were so inclined could likely find out a lot about you. At least if you're on Facebook you can un-tag yourself (which likely does nothing, it's on the books).

 

Anyways, people have such a fascination with privacy. I'm surprised some people go outside in fear that their face is seen. I'm not going to try and make the, "If you have nothing to hide..." argument, because I agree that's a lame argument. But I'm not understanding your argument either.

 

 

You live, you die, you're remembered than you're forgotten. I personally rather I'm remembered for longer than I'm forgotten. I don't care one iota who it is that remembers me. Even if it's not Human.

[Anibal P]

You can use social Media and still stay fairly anonymous and private, if you know my full name or even with my first name good luck actually finding me without a whole lot of work 

 

It's all about not being narcissistic and assuming everyone actually cares or wants your info, most of my friends and family don't need or want all my details on any site. Hell recently an aunt had to almost beg for me to take a selfie, she hadn't seen me in like 15 years, there are maybe 5-6 pictures of me on the net because I don't need any of that on it