Instagram. Snapchat. Twitter. LinkedIn. Tumblr. Facebook. I am no fan of social media. My Facebook page only sees moderately more attention than my garden, and seeing as my âgardenâ is a single Venus flytrapâdead, mind youâitâs not hard to disinterestedly paint a picture of my usage. That said, I have an account on all of the aforementioned sites.
My lack of activity on Facebook (though this can apply to all sites) isnât due to some self-imposed narcissistic exile resulting from a dearth of notifications, but rather because of the exact reason all of these âsocialâ media sites exist: I enjoy interacting with those in my social circles.
As one may infer, my idea of âinteractingâ consists chiefly of the âphysically presentâ variety. Given the choice between the two, one can only hope that Iâm not unique in this thinking. I simply donât see the point of devoting untold hours, whether by constant browsing or billions of quick check-ins, to quasi-hanging out virtually. Yes, Iâll pop on Facebook a few times a week and like, comment, and such on whateverâs relevant at the time, but itâs definitely not a regular occurrence. Iâm on Facebook when Iâve absolutely nothing to do or thereâs an event I should be aware of.
Why be on these sites then? Why bother having several accounts if Iâm barely going to acknowledge their existence? My mother, a wise woman, has always said, âBe informed if not interested,â and itâs a saying Iâve always taken to heart. No, I really donât care if someone tweets #greatesttweetever, nor does it really matter to me if someone managed to get over 400 likes on their Instagram photo. However, if I do want to find out, I can. For the most part, checking in those few times a week allows me to stay on top of whateverâs relevant.
But what if people message me on said sites? What if thereâs a photo that needs my approval to be posted? Iâll respond. Iâll approve or disapprove. It just may not be immediate. Life is busy enough as is without having to worry about whateverâs going on in cyberspace. Those precious blocks of free time that we have arenât to be squirreled away on frivolous searches as to how your ex is doing. Thereâs so many better things to be doing with your time.
But what if thereâs an event to plan or go to? What if itâs soon? If itâs that important, someone can text. Or call. Or even see me in person. I donât view social media as a primary source of communication. No one should. Thatâs what phones are forâand theyâre annoying enough as is.
And even phones, as a friend once noted, are incredibly invasive. Iphones allow you to see when someone has received and read your text. There could be any number of reasons you donât respond right away: on a short break at work, didnât actually read it and just accidentally opened the message, want a moment to think, or just donât want to. A text, by nature, is a casual form of communication. It lacks the professionalism of an email and the personality of a phone call. However, most emails donât inform you when theyâve been opened and itâs no great crime to intentionally miss (whether they know it or not) someoneâs phone call.
End side rant.
I must confess to having been a rabid fan. Lately though, I have come to muse on how much time is actually whittled away in the process, and have come to be wary of it, lest actual socializing be forgotten.
Danke danke,
Eric Wilkins
