Quitting Social Media

[Blossom]

I was on Facebook, and it had a big upside--keeping in touch with relatives, hearing about concerts, and so on. But it really sunk in at one point that the whole magilla was a trap and a tool of control. I quit about eight years ago (took the compressed file with me) and never regretted it. I have found other time-sucks to take its place.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPn2zH_8OmY

I will miss the ease of keeping up with relatives.

 

[Old Irenaeus]

I never had twitter. That is absolute posionous. I manually follow a couple of accounts from a specific niche that I am interested. And I shouldn't honestly, because nothing truly important can be summarized in 140 chars and with the immediateness of twitter. It is a trap.

FB I almost never use it but keep the account. I find it VERY USEFUL for specific times when you need to address a message to a wide audience related to you somehow. And also for local groups where you can buy/sell stuff, find mutual help, etc.

Also for messaging people from other countries, if you travel a lot it is very convenient.

I agree with these points. It's helpful for getting in touch with people if you don't have their phone number. Also, there are many businesses that primarily use Facebook to share their info…which I dislike…but it's easier to view the content if one has an account. And I sometimes I like to stay informed about who's getting married, who's had a baby, who has died, etc. Perhaps I might find out about these things eventually w/o FB but perhaps not.

 

[I'm.No.One]

Sigh... Social media is how I earn a (really good) living but here is how I mitigate it's damaging effects.

1.) I haven't had the public FB app in like 5 years.

Instead I use the FB business app, this allows me to schedule posts but there's nothing to scroll.

2.) If I want to post something work relevant to my personal FB (thousands of customers follow my personal account) I have to manually log in from a desktop. I dip in, drop the post, dip out.

3.) Instagram is my main platform (genuine influencer sized special features sized account) I don't follow anyone one there with the exception of my two admins who only use those accounts to help me manage the comment sections.

So again there's nothing to scroll.

4.) I have my messaging features on lock down, if someone's sending you messages over messenger that you don't know that's because you haven't managed your settings in the least.

Strangers literally can't send me messages & anyone "I know" via following/"friends" on FB if we've never messaged before it automatically kicks them into my archived messages.

5.) I also have my comments on lock down on IG if they just started following me they can't say ***t for the first 3 days. This stops a lot of drive by trolling, then I have a banned word/phrase list where if someone tries to say something I don't want to deal with like "eating meat is murder" the comment is instantly blocked.

6.) I have time limits set for each app and time frame that I'm allowed to use the app. Ex: IG is no more than 1hr a day & can only be opened between the hours of 12pm-3pm.

7.) I use the FB business app to schedule a ton of posts, dedicating one day a week to write out two weeks worth of posts. This means I can be, for example, in the woods picking berries with my family while my social media is humming along like clockwork.

I know most of this stuff is for people who earn a living with the use of social media, but it's just really easy for someone to be like "I'm quitting social media" when they don't have something to lose by not being present.

Basically it's possible to use social media and not let it ruin you/control you if you learn how to be the one in control.

But yeah, I'd delete it all if it wasn't so crucial to running a successful business.

 

[akgrrrl]

You might think living in rural Alaska that social media would be a godsend. Perhaps for some. I am in the league with @Mister. I was forced into smartphone the end of 2019 as covidcovidcovid was implemented, lost my hardline internet and home phone for $45 a month, now only radiowave internet for $100, landline phone another 50 plus overblown "connect" fees. They think we don't know they just have to flick a switch? I knew the world was taking a huge step into a world of exposure that I didnt care for. On RPF I lurked 2years before joining, and even here the changes have been unsettling with youth treating it as a social media account*cough*gatz*cough

 

[Blaze]

You could argue talking on any internet forum is social media. But RPF is a different breed.

Yes, as long as you don't count raypeatforum.com and copytechnet.com , then I completely quit social media a long time ago

 

[akgrrrl]

Sigh... Social media is how I earn a (really good) living but here is how I mitigate it's damaging effects.

1.) I haven't had the public FB app in like 5 years.

Instead I use the FB business app, this allows me to schedule posts but there's nothing to scroll.

2.) If I want to post something work relevant to my personal FB (thousands of customers follow my personal account) I have to manually log in from a desktop. I dip in, drop the post, dip out.

3.) Instagram is my main platform (genuine influencer sized special features sized account) I don't follow anyone one there with the exception of my two admins who only use those accounts to help me manage the comment sections.

So again there's nothing to scroll.

4.) I have my messaging features on lock down, if someone's sending you messages over messenger that you don't know that's because you haven't managed your settings in the least.

Strangers literally can't send me messages & anyone "I know" via following/"friends" on FB if we've never messaged before it automatically kicks them into my archived messages.

5.) I also have my comments on lock down on IG if they just started following me they can't say ***t for the first 3 days. This stops a lot of drive by trolling, then I have a banned word/phrase list where if someone tries to say something I don't want to deal with like "eating meat is murder" the comment is instantly blocked.

6.) I have time limits set for each app and time frame that I'm allowed to use the app. Ex: IG is no more than 1hr a day & can only be opened between the hours of 12pm-3pm.

7.) I use the FB business app to schedule a ton of posts, dedicating one day a week to write out two weeks worth of posts. This means I can be, for example, in the woods picking berries with my family while my social media is humming along like clockwork.

I know most of this stuff is for people who earn a living with the use of social media, but it's just really easy for someone to be like "I'm quitting social media" when they don't have something to lose by not being present.

Basically it's possible to use social media and not let it ruin you/control you if you learn how to be the one in control.

But yeah, I'd delete it all if it wasn't so crucial to running a successful business.

Great input. Sounds like you use it as the best tool ever for your platform.

 

[Blossom]

Sigh... Social media is how I earn a (really good) living but here is how I mitigate it's damaging effects.

1.) I haven't had the public FB app in like 5 years.

Instead I use the FB business app, this allows me to schedule posts but there's nothing to scroll.

2.) If I want to post something work relevant to my personal FB (thousands of customers follow my personal account) I have to manually log in from a desktop. I dip in, drop the post, dip out.

3.) Instagram is my main platform (genuine influencer sized special features sized account) I don't follow anyone one there with the exception of my two admins who only use those accounts to help me manage the comment sections.

So again there's nothing to scroll.

4.) I have my messaging features on lock down, if someone's sending you messages over messenger that you don't know that's because you haven't managed your settings in the least.

Strangers literally can't send me messages & anyone "I know" via following/"friends" on FB if we've never messaged before it automatically kicks them into my archived messages.

5.) I also have my comments on lock down on IG if they just started following me they can't say ***t for the first 3 days. This stops a lot of drive by trolling, then I have a banned word/phrase list where if someone tries to say something I don't want to deal with like "eating meat is murder" the comment is instantly blocked.

6.) I have time limits set for each app and time frame that I'm allowed to use the app. Ex: IG is no more than 1hr a day & can only be opened between the hours of 12pm-3pm.

7.) I use the FB business app to schedule a ton of posts, dedicating one day a week to write out two weeks worth of posts. This means I can be, for example, in the woods picking berries with my family while my social media is humming along like clockwork.

I know most of this stuff is for people who earn a living with the use of social media, but it's just really easy for someone to be like "I'm quitting social media" when they don't have something to lose by not being present.

Basically it's possible to use social media and not let it ruin you/control you if you learn how to be the one in control.

But yeah, I'd delete it all if it wasn't so crucial to running a successful business.

I’m so glad you have it figured out and it’s working for you!!!
Edit: This is super helpful for people who absolutely need to be on it.

 

[Korven]

Awesome thread @Blossom!

I haven't regularly used any social media since 2016 (as in scrolling through feeds, sharing, posting) and for Facebook/Youtube I use a chrome browser extension called UnDistracted which removes all feeds/recommended videos/comments, etc, etc so there are no distractions. Works well for me personally, I can use Facebook to keep in touch with friends and family and Youtube to watch videos without getting Zuckerberged.

I am sure my stress levels would be through the roof if I spent half my waking hours scrolling through IG, twitter, facebook, TikTok.

My only guilty pleasure is RPF lol.

 

[Blossom]

only guilty pleasure is RPF lol.

Same. Thanks for the tip about UnDistracted!

 

[LLight]

Reddit - Dive into anything

www.reddit.com

Paradoxically

 

[Blossom]

Reddit - Dive into anything

www.reddit.com

Paradoxically

 

[tankasnowgod]

You could argue talking on any internet forum is social media. But RPF is a different breed.

I’m definitely not including this forum! :)

There are sites that have a "Social Media" type structure, but are wildly different than things like Twitter and Facebook. While this forum is one example, Scribd is another one, and I've found it very useful. Moreso for the documents people upload (on specific topics) than the books or magazines you get with it (though I have used that feature a bit, too). It is a subscription service, but that probably helps to weed out a lot of the "issues" that normal social media has. There is a wealth of documents on there regarding things like trusts, the UCC, the Freedom movement and such. No doubt there is promise in the social media structure, but the big companies have certainly created a very poor environment for users.

 

[Rafe]

I drop in & out of social media. I keep up with family on FB & never added new friends after about the first 75. I stopped opening it for about 6 months during the lockdowns so I could just concentrate on what I could see around me.

I’m in FB groups that do gardening or for local concerts. I don’t watch TV, but like Blossom, my husband watches a lot of TV & sm. It’s no good. SM has def changed some people I love.

Never got into Instagram, never got a Twitter acct. Had TikTok but I could see right away that that stuff was like the methamphetamine of the sm world. I deleted it.

I have FB Messenger for 1 friend & Signal for another. I drop in & out of Telegram groups & chats, but I almost never post.

I’ve spent way too much time on GooTube lately on educational stuff & sometimes comment or superchat.

But I can feel it distorting things for me. I haven’t gotten a regular routine of meeting people socially in real life where I live half time. The other place I live half time I met another Ray Peat household & that has been absolutely a lifeline for all of us.

 

[JamesGatz]

You might think living in rural Alaska that social media would be a godsend. Perhaps for some. I am in the league with @Mister. I was forced into smartphone the end of 2019 as covidcovidcovid was implemented, lost my hardline internet and home phone for $45 a month, now only radiowave internet for $100, landline phone another 50 plus overblown "connect" fees. They think we don't know they just have to flick a switch? I knew the world was taking a huge step into a world of exposure that I didnt care for. On RPF I lurked 2years before joining, and even here the changes have been unsettling with youth treating it as a social media account*cough*gatz*cough

You got some cough there miss - you need some Benadryl or what? I didn't even know Polar bears knew how to use computers

 

[Makrosky]

I'm one of the rare breeds that never had social media.

Already saw immediately (speaking 2009) what superficial garbage it was. Also was I the only one not being comfortable putting pictures of yourself online? Really I thought back in the day when facebook got popular that it seemed almost nobody cared about privacy?

Guess social pressure cracked most people...

Doesn't have to be that way. It can be used like the turbocharged version of those boards that had handwritten ads on bars, public libraries, etc. in the old times. Same thing, modernized.

Problem is that it is addictive. And pernicious if not used very carefully. But if you only extract the good things, it is useful.

A few days ago I got an unexpected message on FB from a guy that I met in the other side of the world backpacking like me and had fun traveling together for a couple of weeks. He couldn't have find me otherwise. Brought back good memories and made me happy for that day. No more expectations, just a happy moment.

 

[Makrosky]

Had TikTok but I could see right away that that stuff was like the methamphetamine of the sm world. I deleted it.

LOL. Same feeling. I saw it even if I never had it installed.

 

[Blossom]

I drop in & out of social media. I keep up with family on FB & never added new friends after about the first 75. I stopped opening it for about 6 months during the lockdowns so I could just concentrate on what I could see around me.

I’m in FB groups that do gardening or for local concerts. I don’t watch TV, but like Blossom, my husband watches a lot of TV & sm. It’s no good. SM has def changed some people I love.

Never got into Instagram, never got a Twitter acct. Had TikTok but I could see right away that that stuff was like the methamphetamine of the sm world. I deleted it.

I have FB Messenger for 1 friend & Signal for another. I drop in & out of Telegram groups & chats, but I almost never post.

I’ve spent way too much time on GooTube lately on educational stuff & sometimes comment or superchat.

But I can feel it distorting things for me. I haven’t gotten a regular routine of meeting people socially in real life where I live half time. The other place I live half time I met another Ray Peat household & that has been absolutely a lifeline for all of us.

That’s awesome!

 

[Blossom]

LOL. Same feeling. I saw it even if I never had it installed.

Yep, I saw my former coworker’s
TikTok that she posted on Facebook of her 10 year old dancing and was sickened.

No doubt there is promise in the social media structure, but the big companies have certainly created a very poor environment for users.

Very poor.

TikTok but I could see right away that that stuff was like the methamphetamine of the sm world. I deleted it.

100%

 

[Rafe]

Problem is that it is addictive. And pernicious if not used very carefully. But if you only extract the good things, it is useful.

Yes

 

[Grapelander]

I dropped Facebook years ago.
I dropped Linked-In. Ended up getting a job thru Indeed.
I also discourage texting.

All of these require a constant care and feeding.
People got angry because I did not respond in their perceived timeframe.

Cal Newport books/interviews are excellent for support in making this choice:
Digital Minimalism
A philosophy of technology use in which you focus your online time on a small number of carefully selected and optimized activities that strongly support things you value, and then happily miss out on everything else.

Timothy Ferriss LOW INFORMATION DIET from 4-Hour Workweek
What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence, a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention and a need to allocate that attention efficiently among the overabundance of information sources that might consume it.
—HERBERT SIMON, recipient of Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics- and the A.M. Turing Award, the “Nobel Prize of Computer Science”

The first step is to develop and maintain a low-information diet. Just as modern man consumes both too many calories and calories of no nutritional value, information workers eat data both in excess and from the wrong sources.
Lifestyle design is based on massive action—output. Increased output necessitates decreased input.
Most information is:
1) time-consuming,
2) negative,
3) irrelevant to your goals, and
4) outside of your influence.
I challenge you to look at whatever you read or watched today and tell me that it wasn’t at least two of the four.