I feel sorry for anyone who doesn’t use social media and who thinks it is just for announcing what one had to eat. You are really missing out. As with anything else in life, it can be frustrating and it takes some time to figure out how to use it. I learn more from Twitter than any other source of information in my life. You just have to figure it all out. If you can’t be bothered to do that, then I probably don’t have much use for you. It is just such a great way to keep up with people and know what is going on in your community. Oh- Next Door. It’s pretty awful a lot of the time but can be crucial in the event of any sort of emergency.
Also, I will say that I am a huge supporter of newspapers and other print media. And I appreciate those who also support print media. Have a favorite paper, magazine, columnist, or journalist? Did you know that they share much more content that never gets published in the daily/weekly/monthly additions via blogs? Did you know if you follow them on social media you will hear more in-depth about why they wrote what they did and their views on other similar topics? So much great information!
Again, if you only want to digest so much info or news or personal info from friends, family - that is your choice! Just don’t assume that those who do consume social media are spending hours playing games like Candy Crush, waiting to see what the Kardashians are doing or posting what they ate for dinner daily.
You don’t have to feel sorry for me. I am certain that social media is for more than just announcing what you’ve had to eat, but I have no interest in it. I don’t feel that I am missing out on anything. It’s not that I can’t be bothered figuring it out because I am certain that I am intelligent enough to comprehend how to use Twitter or Pinterest or whatever, it’s that I have no use for it. I don’t understand why you seem so defensive about it. I am not sorry for anyone who uses social media even though I think time can be better spent with one’s face in an actual book rather than Facebook. It’s an individual choice.
I joined FB 10 years ago after a high school reunion. I love it the most for seeing my friends’ children. There is a wide range of ages in peer group and it’s a joy for me to be able to keep up with what everyone is doing. I like not having to wait for xmas cards ; ). I also enjoy some specialty groups for my dd’s college and my dog breed. Helps me feel connect to folks that live across the country too.
I do have one friend who has zero social media presence. It is harder to keep up with her (she’s terrible about answering the phone too!).
It’s not a matter of intelligence. It’s a matter of figuring out how to get content that is valuable to you and not a bunch of junk (especially Twitter). I’m a sports fan and I really value the information I get about my favorite college team in particular. It’s fun to engage with the players and even their parents.
If some of us seem defensive, it’s because this is a typical CC thread inferring that people who enjoy certain things ( be it makeup, TV, hair coloring, nice jewelry-whatever) are shallow people!
I follow a lot of news people on Twitter. That is probably 90% of who I follow. People like NPR reporters, Jake Tapper, Maggie Haberman. It is FAST — like the fastest gossip network in a small town, but with news reporting. And corgi Twitter feeds. 
For me a Twitter isn’t personal — I don’t follow anyone I know. FB is completely different — it is a way to connect more closely with my friends and family.
Have a facebook account but never log in- H has to email me the jokes. He keeps up with friends and relatives all over the world, mine don’t use it. Too much junk. Somehow keeping up with people you never see doesn’t mean anything to me. They don’t care about my kid and I don’t care about theirs. I talk on the phone to a few friends- so much more in a voice.
Just because it’s there doesn’t mean you have to use it, waste more time.
Only FB, one page for me and one for my business. I have a linked in profile, but not looking for a job and I don’t respond to any personal requests. No twitter, instagram, or whatever else is out there. I prefer print journalism: newspapers, magazines, books.
I do not get junk on my FB. I have few FB friends who liked to post a lot of sentimental stuff on FB, so I blocked those postings. I do not let people tag me and share it with other people I do not know.
People say they have no use for social medias, and I wonder if it is because they do not want to take the time to learn. I still remember when I pushed my mother to bank on line. She told me she had no use for it because she could just go to a branch and get everything done. It took a lot of convincing on my part to get her to try it. Now she pays all of her bills online and she even trades online (the first time she didn’t know she had to click on submit ). She has a FB account and it is one thing she checks on everyday.
This board is the only “social media” thing I do, but I have thought about using Twitter.
I opened a facebook account when D needed one in high school to collaborate on schoolwork. I am not really active on that. (maybe two photographs) I rarely use it or post. No Instagram or pinterest. CC is the one forum I have used but now I come on maybe once a week. I am trying to spend more quality time offline.
I don’t get why anyone would care whether or not I’m on Twitter or Facebook. I’m not saying no one should do it. I’m just saying that I don’t. Hey, you asked.
Here and our local NextDoor.
This site is the only social media that I frequent. I don’t have any other accounts. I have considered Instagram but haven’t done it, yet. Mostly because I love photos to show interesting things. I love Ted Talks but I just search topics of interest rather than any kind of subscription. Never had Facebook or Twitter or others, afraid it’s too annoying or intrusive. Also paranoid about identity theft.
I have a few groups on FB. One is parents of son’s grad school. Another is a groups with a medical problem. Oath of these are closed groups. Many years ago, my son asked me never to post anything about him or family members. I like to read about friends from childhood. If not for those years of contact, I wouldn’t have gone to 50th HS reunion.
Pinterest is fun. I’ve been keeping a wedding site.
Twitter too is fun and informative. I never post, but I like to follow a few well known people and a few scientists.
Honestly, it is 2:30 a.m. but I’m not alone.
Ha ha! I’m in Asia, it’s daytime, lol.
As a person that has a major work function of keeping data secure, I relish being anonymous. I have a FB account but I’ve made one post in the last 6 years, and that was to cryptically announce where my kid was going to school. (I somehow managed to accumulate 1K of friends). I have a Twitter account so that I can follow emergency announcements from my city police department but that’s it. My family members and close friends that are social media savvy all use WeChat, and all I use it for is for instant chat function (WeChat is like FB, WhatsApp, Instagram and PayPal all in one).
@ProfessorPlum168 – 1K friends! How does that happen if you’re never on it? I have been on it actively for about nine years, and have just over 300.
What I use FB for: keeping up with friends and family, both those far away and those close by who share pictures and stories of events I might not be at,
Sharing ideas, issues, opinions with friends. I learn a ton of cool stuff from the very cool articles people post.
Humor–my friends have good taste and know what’s funny.
Food-I don’t mind food pics and have picked up some great recipes.
Writing–extremely important. This is where I have made most of my professional connections, including writing advice and support, information about venues to publish, conferences, classes, and general thoughtful conversation about all aspects of the writing life.
It’s a fantastic tool for me; I’m really horrifed about how it’s run, so that is a problem for me now. I’d lose so much if I got off it.
I’m also on Twitter, not a big user, but acquired a couple thousand followers in order to show publishers I have a platform. Have Instagram and Linkedin accounts but don’t use much. Maybe a Pinterest one too, I don’t really get that though I know it’s popular.
Please do not feel sorry for those of us who choose, happily, to be away from fb/Twitter/IG, life has been really good.
And @techmom99 a virtual handshake here!
I’ve been on FB for years, sure some people post junk I have no interest in, but I just unfollow them. The private FB groups are where I post most often, mostly a fitness group and my local women’s running group. I’m on NextDoor , but get better local information on my homeowners FB group.
I am on Linked In although at this point, I am in my final job before retirement.
Tried Pinterest but it really didn’t interest me much, so I haven’t used it in years.
Someone upthread mentioned reading as a better use of time. Even though I spend time on social media, I still read a lot. It’s not mutually exclusive.