I’ve previously posted about my love hate relationship with music and music streaming, and after seeing the title for that post again, I’ve realized that I have that same sort of relationship with social media. When I mention social media, I’m going to try and not gear this towards a certain social media site like Mastodon / Fediverse, instead talk about social media in general that can cover a majority of social media websites (both past, present, and future). What I love Be informed Social media has allowed me to learn more about something from someone who knows more than me. Yes, there’s websites and other things you can read to get that information that may be more in depth. With social media it allows you to get that from sites you may not often check out. When was the last time you saw something on social media that challenged your viewpoint? Personally, I find it happens more often than reading a news website. While challenges can come in the form of comments, they can also come in the form of posts (including videos). This doesn’t mean we have to change our view just because someone said something, it does allow us to consider something we haven’t before. Can see cute things Sometimes you just want to see a cute picture of an animal without having to leave the comfort of your house. If you don’t have an animal, then social media allows you to view pictures taken by someone else. If animals aren’t cute to you, there’s beautiful pictures of nature, or really pictures of almost anything. Being able to talk to people from around the world While I did mention this in my fediverse blog post, I feel it’s worth repeating, social media allows you to talk with people from around the world. Both people have to be privileged enough to have internet access, and a device to access that social media website on. Talk doesn’t mean constant communication between both of you, it can mean you seeing one of their posts, or they see one of yours. Asynchronous communication is also wonderful since there are so many different time zones. What I hate Tend to view the loudest people While only 1% of people on a social media site are known to create new content, you may see an even less percentage depending on the platform. There is also a subsection of those people who post multiple times per day, or get onto the home pages for everyone to view. While I understand why everyone choose not to post, I do wish those who are posting, not post as quickly (practice slow journalism, and that those less known people who post the same content as those we often see, be shown more on the homepages to highlight them (how exactly that can be done by those who run the website, I’m not sure). Is there something we as other people on the social media sites can do to help tilt in that direction? Find those people who have fewer people following them, and engage with their content. I understand it’s harder to do on some platforms, but I believe with every social media site there is a way. Easy distraction When was the last time social media distracted you from doing something else you meant to do instead? I’ve been distracted more times than I want to admit while writing this blog post. I hate how easy it can be to access social media, and how much it can distract you. I know that’s what social media companies want you to do, however you can choose to spend less time on them. What can you do to stop it from being so distracted? Introduce some barriers, like having to login again, block access to their website or app for a set period of time, or turn off your internet (that is if you don’t need it). Tend to show the highlights In my experience, social media is most often either used to share the major events. When other people see those major events they may reflect upon their life, and see they haven’t done that yet. For example, I know multiple people around my age who are already married and have children. At the time of writing this, I don’t see either of those happening to me in my near future, I’m not saying something can’t change, but it’s a reflection of what someone my age has, compared to me. The highlights could also be shown because the social media algorithm is wanting to show those. Sometimes don’t feel like being social Personally, I have days when I don’t feel like posting or replying on social media. While some people may be concerned that something is wrong, usually there is nothing wrong and it’s just a temporary feeling that will pass soon. Social media is a weird thing, and I encourage you to use it however you want, don’t let any company or person tell you how often to use it. Additional Links This blog post was partially inspired by the song BAIT by Jonathon Young. Social media apps are ‘deliberately’ addictive to users, written by Hilary Andersson Social Media’s Highlight Reel, written by Jedda Slow social media by Herman Martinus Permission to Not Post About That Vacation - Why You Never Have to Post About It, written by me Anti-social / sound of silence, written by me My experience going viral on Mastodon, written by me