Anyone here who doesn't use social media? (Or not often)

[Yanrima~]

I only use Twitter because of posting Splatoon art posts and usually art stuff and following Japanese artists. Everything else on Twitter is a dumpster fire and a huge mess.

Discord is alright, I only use it to connect to other forum members especially on situations where the forum site is down and under maintenance.

As for Tumblr, I use it the same as Twitter: which is posting about art and reblogging inspiration for future artworks and other projects. Sometimes sharing in-game screenshots of games.

I keep my active Social Media accounts to a minimum as a result. Nowadays, I'm more active here ever since discovering this forum and I prefer online forums more over social media. Social media is just too overwhelming and stressful to be in when it comes to discussions especially discussions in social media that devolve into arguments just because someone had a different opinion.

 

[nightglow]

I use a few but not a ton. The most is YouTube for watching stuff and then belltree. I have a Twitter for looking at art people make and for game dev stuff, but honestly thinking about deleting it. A lot of people moved on from there after Twitter changed hands.

 

[oddbear]

i have instagram, facebook and discord but that's it. i honestly can't stand tiktok because it's just been so negative for me and yet still so addicting. it's probably just a problem with my brain, but i can't even have instagram on my phone because i'll look at it instead of doing my schoolwork. ngl i've stayed up until 3:00 am on instagram on multiple occasions.

i only have facebook to post drawings on splatoon 3 though-

 

[drowningfairies]

I stopped using Instagram and Snapchat because it became more of a chore than anything.
I do have Facebook. But it’s mostly to stay in the know about local things, and for the memes.
Otherwise i don’t really care for it that much.

I do use Reddit but I read mostly, and it’s in the game subreddits and unresolved mysteries.

Social media hurts my brain so I try to avoid it usually.

 

[.: Meri :.]

To actually interact with others, I pretty much just use TBT. I got a Discord again for people who prefer to use it to chat, but that's pretty much all I use it for ahaha. My past Discord experiences on servers were... not ideal, let's say.

Aside from that, I just have a Pinterest that I check a couple times a day and an Instagram that I check once every two or three days. Pinterest's algorithm is hot garbage and I gave up trying to tune it because it seemed to be having zero impact on what showed up for me, but I still find some good stuff on there sometimes. I only use Instagram to keep up with news from video game companies and merch sites, creators I really like, and cute pet pictures (and sometimes cute pet pictures from creators I really like), so my experiences with it have been fine thus far. I know there's a much nastier side to it, but I've thankfully not encountered it just from the stuff I follow.

I used to use Twitter for the same things I use Instagram for now, but I quit it a while ago and I'm so glad I did. The Trending tab was too tempting for me, and checking it out was never a good idea—to say nothing of all the only vaguely relevant, toxic nonsense it'd shove into my feed on a regular basis from accounts I wasn't even following. I do miss some of the Japanese artists I was following, but it wasn't worth the drain on my mental health. ;;

If we're counting Youtube, I do use that a lot too, but I almost always enjoy my time on there. Oh, and I'll pop onto Reddit to look up answers to gaming questions and stuff, but I don't even have an account there.

 

[-Blue-]

I use these forums, discord, and Twitter but only for one message group for these handful of friends who refuse to go anywhere else. If it weren't for them I would just obliterate my account. I don't interact with any type of social media.

There's just too much negativity on it all. People just want to spread hate and negativity for the sake of spreading it. I don't get it and I don't want any part of it.

Oh I also use Reddit for the dedicated subs about home improvement/fixing things. Sometimes I get useful tips and advice other times it gets ignored or someone who doesn't know what they are talking about gives their misinformed diagnosis. It's kind of 50/50 so I might just nuke my Reddit account soon anyway.

I remember asking advice on one of the subs about the best remedies for getting rid of old antique smells. I had a really old antique steamer chest and the stink inside was horrible. So I went to Reddit antique restoration subs for their go-to/sure-fire ways to kill or lessen old smells.

I only got one person to reply. They were condescending and pompous and replied with something along the lines of 'show us pics' Can you smell antique stank through a picture? I didn't think so. Moron.

 

[VanitasFan26]

I don't use Twitter and Facebook anymore. I realized that Social Media has become so mentally draining after being on it for so long. After not using it for so long I've felt better about it.

 

[AccfSally]

I barely use it nowadays. If I do, it will just be my Twitter.
Pinterest is another story. I wish others would stop reposting art...especially if the artist stated not to repost.
I got locked off my Tumblr. I have made another account but rarely use it.
And for Facebook, I never use it.

 

[Corrie]

It's actually funny, the thought of posting my real life stuff actually stresses me out. I don't want the approval of others or everyone to know everything that's going on in my life. I want the one to be telling specific people. I need that privacy.

I use Reddit and Tumblr but under a username with no personal things attached. I use Reddit for information and fandom things and I use Tumblr for fandom things.

It feels good to be free from the urge to post about my life all the time. I just live my life instead of documenting it for everyone because technically speaking, nobody cares lol. If something cool happens, I'll text/send a photo to specific people.

 

[nightglow]

I actually decided to go ahead and delete my Twitter. The reason why I had one was gone, which was to see game dev stuff and pixel art. Currently looking for an art site to join. But I want to find one that has alot of pixel art stuff on it.

 

[Flicky]

I've tried Facebook, Instagram and Twitter in the past. Got bored of all of them within a few weeks. They all had the same issue - people fighting for attention all the time, with very little proper engagement.

I did recently try to start up Instagram again a few weeks ago, since I wanted to start sharing some photos. What I found? Instagram is now TikTok v2. Countless videos of poor quality, loads of suggested (video) posts and ads, scam messages and pointless 'x, who you might know, is on Instagram' notifications. There are hardly any actual photos being posted now.

I wish there were more forums like this one. They're becoming a thing of the past, even though they're so much better in a variety of ways.

 

[Corrie]

I've tried Facebook, Instagram and Twitter in the past. Got bored of all of them within a few weeks. They all had the same issue - people fighting for attention all the time, with very little proper engagement.

I did recently try to start up Instagram again a few weeks ago, since I wanted to start sharing some photos. What I found? Instagram is now TikTok v2. Countless videos of poor quality, loads of suggested (video) posts and ads, scam messages and pointless 'x, who you might know, is on Instagram' notifications. There are hardly any actual photos being posted now.

I wish there were more forums like this one. They're becoming a thing of the past, even though they're so much better in a variety of ways.

You raise a really good point that I forgot to mention: the ads and crappy algorithm.
It makes it painful to browse. Reddit is bad enough but for Tumblr I've fixed that nonsense using Xkit. Every 2-3 posts is a dumb ad. It's all so corporate now, everyone is trying to make a quick buck. It sucks.

 

[-Blue-]

Yeah I don't use social media to show anything about myself or where I live. The closest is Reddit where I ask for advice on stuff I am fixing or trying to find a perfect solution for. But even then I keep it anonymous.

It seems weird to constantly be taking pictures to share with others to feel validated or something. I do reenactments sometimes as a hobby and there was this one guy who would constantly be taking pics or videos to upload to tons of strangers. He was so busy looking into the device to capture it all the time he never really remembered the events. I'd rather live in the moment.

It's like those knuckleheads that whip their phone out to film as soon as something is going down. I remember coming across one where this guy was filming some cougar that was loose on the streets and somewhere in the tangle someone got bit and was holding their bleeding hand. Dude could've assisted that guy who was in distress, but nah clout is where it's at!

I just overall hate social media because it's brought the worst out of people. Negativity farming and clout chasing and people's personal boundaries and health/safety be damned!

 

[zissou]

I made a Facebook account when I was 11 and used it obsessively, but now it's mostly memes and advertisements and pregnancy updates from high school classmates I haven't spoken to in my entire life, so I keep it only for making group chats with my actual friends.

I made a LinkedIn after I graduated from college, and it was helpful in finding jobs. Not because of the "connections" or the humblebragging or the content-devoid "advice" posts, but for the job postings alone.

Aside from that, I have no social media. No Twitter, no Instagram, no TikTok, no Tumblr, etc. I was an obsessed Tumblr user from middle to high school, back when I was very much a Fandom Girlie (please don't ask me about my ships, it's hashtag embarrassing) but I am not anymore because I'm sick of scrolling endlessly through "content".

Oh, content. An ode to content. That word disgusts me in its vagueness. It's never an actual specific thing: recipes, photographs, advice, poems, how-to's, essays, paintings, call-to-actions, stories, plays, analysis, songs, histories... it's just "content". People creating mindless, meaningless minutes of video or slides of images for other people to "consume". How do you "consume" a photograph or a YouTube video? "Consume" obliterates the likelihood of critical analysis -- the mental equivalent of shoveling food into your mouth without caring how it tastes, as long as there's always something to eat. When did we start referring to ourselves as consumers instead of citizens, constituents, customers?

I think social media can be useful, helpful, entertaining if used in extreme moderation, with extreme mindfulness. Twitter can be a great place to share news or advertise small businesses, for example. Tumblr can be a wonderful place to post your art and build a following. TikTok can be used to build awareness for social causes. YouTube has some wonderful comedy and video essays and so many important educational explainers and DIY videos. Social media doesn't need to be serious to have value, either. It can be a wonderful place to goof off and be silly and make friends and shriek about games or fandoms or memes, etc.

I think when it moves away from specific interests into scrolling for the sake of it, it becomes unhealthy. I'll speak for myself. The time I spend scrolling -- which I still do on Reddit and Twitter, even though I don't have my own accounts -- is wasted time. It feels good to my brain in a low-grade, "clam floating in warm water" kind of way, the drip-feed mixture of memes, outrage, "hot takes", and pretty pictures... but it's basically re-wired my brain to get bored instantly, and desperately want to remedy that boredom with... you guessed it... more social media! I now feel "alone" if there aren't a hundred digital voices alongside me. Which I hate. I want to be able to chill under a tree or work on my hobbies or watch TV without needing something "extra" to make it less boring.

tl;dr: Social media, for me, is a low-quality escape from reality in the form of "entertainment". I want to be bored more. It's a major goal of mine. And I want to alleviate this boredom by doing things that are meaningful and fulfilling to me, like journaling, going for walks, writing stories, drawing, cooking, reading, and crafting.

 

[Khaoticnoize187]

I just stick to online forums or discord i can't really get behind places like twitter,reddit or tumblr at all really especially tiktok or any kind of shortform content its just exhausting and draining those places.

 

[Snek]

I gave up on Twitter and Facebook and I never use my Instagram. I feel most social media platforms are dying. I like forums like TBT though I feel I may be spending less time on them in the future too.

 

[Roxxy]

Oh I am such a dinosaur and just can’t be bothered with social media I can’t understand people scrolling for hours and posting pictures of their dinner.

Mind you, I have spent the last hour “dusting” friends profiles so who am I to talk

I only really use the belltree. I have started to use discord a little but it’s only people from here that I chat to. I have twitter but rarely use it.

 

[Suguri]

LOL I am so out of touch with my generation. XD Social media is too overwhelming for me. The only platform I use often is Discord and that's it. But I just use it to communicate with online friends.

 

[Chris]

I cut off from social media a few years ago. Late 2020 I think. Never been happier. It does great wonders for a person's mental health to not be constantly comparing their lives to their peers.

My late grandmother (passed June 2022) using it to send me LGBT-intolerant messages was the final straw.

 

[Neb]

My old post here is outdated so I’ll post again.

I only use Discord and Instagram. Discord is for keeping up with other online communities I’m a part of and to stay in touch with my online friends. I’m pretty addicted to it since I’m always afraid I’ll miss a conversation on a server or get a new message over DMs or group chats.

Instagram is for posting photos of scenery or my pets, look at videos of cats, and to look at new art from digital artists or tattoo artists I follow. I only open the app maybe once or twice a day. I avoid the comments sections on that app since they’re mostly really toxic. Using the app can be frustrating sometimes since it makes me feel bad I’ll probably never get art from most of those tattoo artists since they’re all in other states or countries.

I’m active on three forums including this one, but mostly only post on here since the other two are really dead. This site is definitely quieter than when I joined since New Horizons no longer gets updates. I imagine it’ll get busier again once the next Animal Crossing game releases sometime in the next few years. It’s still cool to come on here every day though, play some forum games, or reply to new threads.