Opinions On Social Media

[frogslime]

Tbh I'm neutral on social media, and it differs platform to platform for me. I kinda regret signing up for Twitter, but I like scrolling through Instagram.
Even if I don't really like a certain platforming, I find myself returning back to it because I feel like I'm missing out.

 

[Mr_Persona]

I don't have an account on Reddit, but I definitely agree with you on Twitter being the new Tumblr. It's like they all migrated to Twitter. I have opinions, but they're not popular opinions, and I generally try to keep it lowkey. I created a second account on Twitter mostly for Animal Crossing and sometimes Super Mario Maker 2 stuff. Aside from that, I go on Twitter for a bit, see what's going on, and then leave. You really aren't allowed to have your own opinions on that site unless it's a popular one.

That's why l think that people should keep those opinions to themselves, because it can be very dangerous.

Post automatically merged: Aug 2, 2020

I'm no big fan of it when it comea to Facebook, Reddit, Instagram, and Twitter. I really hate it because people just love to complain about things, people get insulted and they feel bad that leads to death, people keep on ranting about politics stuff, buch of cowards on there, gross stuff they post, stalkers that loves watching others, people fighting over stupid things, people never keep opinions to themselves that can start fights, and people showing real information about where they live which is bad. Those are my reasons. Only good part about Twitter Facebook and more is that you can show off lovely art, pets, making friends with good people, sharing news that people will be excited about and talk about popular games. I know there is more nice things about social media, but that l can't think all at once.

Agreed with all that

 

[Midoriya]

I don’t really use any social media in this way to be honest. I used to have a Twitter account because I thought I would need it for a specific job in the future, but I realized how toxic it is and then deleted my account.

I use this forum, Discord, MAL, and LinkedIn, which can all technically be classified as social media due to the “social” aspect of each, but I know these weren’t the ones you were asking about.

 

[Millysaurusrexjr]

I like social media but these days I try to be more reserved on it. I started using Facebook when I was about 13-14, and I constantly overshared information, I feel. I barely use Facebook at all now. The best thing about Facebook was that it's how I met my husband. I've moved on to Twitter, which, yes.. it's the new Tumblr. It's incredibly toxic so I just stay quiet, I only have like 90 followers and I think most of them are bots anyway. I use Twitter mainly to check on my brother, and to retweet cute animal videos and follow artists I like.

I only use Instagram to post my art, and I haven't been doing art much lately. And when I do post it, it's a bit of a letdown because I'll only get 30ish 'likes' max, and I feel a lot of those 'likes' are disingenuous - people just liking every picture they can in hopes that you'll follow them.

I spend a lot of time lurking in Reddit, but I don't comment there often because Redditors are very know-it-all and honestly pretentious a lot of the time.
Discord is okay for more specific things.

I feel like the bell tree forums are the only form of social media that I actually enjoy and feel comfortable using, if it counts as social media. Almost everyone here is nice and the ads are so out of the way that I don't even notice them most of the time (On desktop anyway, not sure if it's the same on mobile)

 

[eggie_]

im only really using this site, discord, and twitch these days. twitch has been nice because i like chatting with people and its been a godsend this summer during quarantine lol. though thats not to say twitch doesnt have its problems. if you take the time to find the right communities for you, it can be incredibly rewarding - but on the other hand, there are some incredibly toxic and close minded people (i think that goes for any site though). the main problem i see with twitch is how just like... unthoughtful some of the bigger streamers are? like when they make ignorant jokes about minorities and just generally are insensitive. its like, what are you teaching the people that watch you? because if im honest, a lot of the people that watch the bigger streamers are young teens. the behaviors are just kind of annoying imo. thats not to say that ALL of the big streamers are this way, though i say stick to the smaller streamers. but it depends on the game too.

discord has been nice to keep in touch with some friends, but thats honestly all i use it for. i dont search for servers to join or anything.... the only ones im in are connected to streams. i used to have a groupchat with a few friends on there, but even that got stressful for me haha. i like to have all my online spaces pretty separate from my offline life. makes it easier to unplug irl when in need it.
i used to have snapchat but that stressed me out SO MUCH. like, i would go to school and people would constantly be like "do you have snapchat??" "why dont you have snapchat???" so i just caved and downloaded it at some point. and i hated being constantly aware of what other people were doing. random people i talked to like, twice would try to add me on there and its like, i dont have anything against you, but i just dont want to be constantly hyper-aware of everyone lol. but some people would be upset if you didnt add them back... so i chucked it lmao.
it was also stressful because once im home for the day, i can unwind away from the people in my school- and having snapchat almost made me feel guilty about wanting to do that. it just wasnt healthy. and dont even get me started on streaks lmao

even though im saying mostly negative things, i really love social media. its a good outlet most of the times. managing it in day to day life can be a bit challenging though, especially since im home a lot more right now. everything in moderation i guess

 

[rubyrubert]

I use this site obviously, then Discord sparingly, and Reddit. I don’t like being on social media because of the toxicity and the groupthink.

But I am strongly considering making an ACNH twitter which also meant be also used for anime/manga/donghua/video games/my art

I really want online friends lol, so I guess that social media is inevitable

 

[nakamato]

i'm pretty active on social media (twt, ig, snapchat). where i am now on those platforms, i'm not near any toxicity, and i just like to rave about the animes i love. social media as itself isn't as bad as it sounds; it allows you to connect with different people and find some who share the interests as you. it really just depends on how you use it. as some have said already, it's pretty helpful for people who are too shy to connect with the real world.
toxic in cases since it's easier to speak your mind on the internet than real life.

 

[*The Oakboro Mayor*]

I'm not really on social media. My parents are quite restrictive and don't want me to get social media sites or make accounts unless I ask them first, which usually results in a "no". That means Instagram, Snapchat (that one hits hard, it limits my contact by 90%), and Twitter are a no-go. I do go on Twitter anonymously thought! Twitter is super toxic though, and I'm not sure I can continue that much longer without losing my mind lol. The ones I DO have are Discord, Twitch, and am on here. Discord is super fun and I get to hang out with a lot of people on here (I've made some friends and I'm super happy that I can just play games with them and be myself ;~; ), and I just watch the occasional Minecrafter or YouTuber-turned-streamer that I enjoy on Twitch. Both are super nice, but they have drawn me away from spending time with my girl family, but I think it makes sense.

Social Media is a great source to just let your feelings out. You can post pictures on there when you feel super hyped up or you can chat with friends if you can't contact them in other ways! Social media had a lot of positives but also a TON of negatives. The toxicity of twitter can go to your head sometimes, God knows it's gone to mine! For me, social media has made me compare myself to people who I really shouldn't. They are 1000 times prettier than me and I shouldn't compare the looks of a 25-year-old streamer to myself. It has made me think of myself very poorly, but I have to stop and think about that now. I'm getting better with that, and I hope I can start an account on TikTok or Twitter without that happening to me in the future. But WOW TikTok has been a big source of my self-loathing, but I've learned to move on and accept that some people are just prettier or funnier than me. One gorgeous gal that I "follow" (I don't have an account, but I do look at her profile often) takes her makeup off regularly and does some videos of her bare face, which has made me gain confidence that I can look that pretty too! (And maybe I'm just obsessed with being pretty, who knows lol)

So yeah! Social media is great, but it has its ups and downs like many other things in life. You just have to learn to control your emotions and not spiral (In my case!)!! If you are in a toxic place in social media, I feel for you. You can get out if you want, but just know that you are better than all the hate in the WORLD <3

 

[TheSillyPuppy]

I don't use social media much nowadays.

I only keep my Facebook account to use Messenger, which I use to stay in touch with family, friends, and colleagues from past internships.

I lurk on a few subreddits (AskWomen, AnimalCrossing, slimerancher, lingling40hrs, memes, cute, aww, PersonalFinance).

I see no inherent good or bad in the use of social media. It's merely a tool and it's up to us to use it responsibly. However, it is increasingly difficult to do so because it's become an echo-chamber and it's next to impossible to have civil discourse about any topic -- let alone sensitive topics, such as politics. I think this is a shame because these are important topics that we should be having and we have so much opportunity to learn from others and improve as a whole society together via technology. Yet, we can't even go into the comments section of a YouTube video without people throwing ad hominem attacks at each other for having their respective opinion about the video's contents.

Some platforms promote a very shallow perspective on life and exacerbate the phenomenon of FOMO (fear of missing out), in my opinion. I've never been to a concert, but it's a pet peeve of mine to see people at concerts constantly using their phones to take videos/pictures (taking some before/after makes sense in my mind). Just enjoy the experience while you're there instead of experiencing it through a lens. XD But to each their own.

 

[Uffe]

I'm not really on social media. My parents are quite restrictive and don't want me to get social media sites or make accounts unless I ask them first, which usually results in a "no". That means Instagram, Snapchat (that one hits hard, it limits my contact by 90%), and Twitter are a no-go. I do go on Twitter anonymously thought! Twitter is super toxic though, and I'm not sure I can continue that much longer without losing my mind lol. The ones I DO have are Discord, Twitch, and am on here. Discord is super fun and I get to hang out with a lot of people on here (I've made some friends and I'm super happy that I can just play games with them and be myself ;~; ), and I just watch the occasional Minecrafter or YouTuber-turned-streamer that I enjoy on Twitch. Both are super nice, but they have drawn me away from spending time with my girl family, but I think it makes sense.

Social Media is a great source to just let your feelings out. You can post pictures on there when you feel super hyped up or you can chat with friends if you can't contact them in other ways! Social media had a lot of positives but also a TON of negatives. The toxicity of twitter can go to your head sometimes, God knows it's gone to mine! For me, social media has made me compare myself to people who I really shouldn't. They are 1000 times prettier than me and I shouldn't compare the looks of a 25-year-old streamer to myself. It has made me think of myself very poorly, but I have to stop and think about that now. I'm getting better with that, and I hope I can start an account on TikTok or Twitter without that happening to me in the future. But WOW TikTok has been a big source of my self-loathing, but I've learned to move on and accept that some people are just prettier or funnier than me. One gorgeous gal that I "follow" (I don't have an account, but I do look at her profile often) takes her makeup off regularly and does some videos of her bare face, which has made me gain confidence that I can look that pretty too! (And maybe I'm just obsessed with being pretty, who knows lol)

So yeah! Social media is great, but it has its ups and downs like many other things in life. You just have to learn to control your emotions and not spiral (In my case!)!! If you are in a toxic place in social media, I feel for you. You can get out if you want, but just know that you are better than all the hate in the WORLD <3

You shouldn't compare your appearance to others, or your personality. What you see on social media is what a person wants you to see. You don't know how their life really is. It's mostly a façade. People will withhold their real feelings and go with what everybody else says, thinks, or does. Don't fall for it. It'll just kill your confidence, and I think your parents are smart to say no. Trust them on this.

 

[Antonio]

I agree that Social Media is toxic but what worries me the most is how they handle our personal data. For example, TikTok and it's extreme data collecting compared to other social medias. Of course, all social media has a data collection problem which worries me so I rarely use social media to post original content, just browse on them.

The same can't be said about the forums (which is good) because I'm like 90% sure the forum data is limited and all the usually do with our data is store data like bells, friends codes, etc. That is OFC they store their own data rather then cloud store it with the Xenforo companys, if that's still a thing (I may be misremembering).

I've been experimenting with forum softwares since, well, I was 13 so I doubt a 3rd party is using our forum posts.

 

[*The Oakboro Mayor*]

You shouldn't compare your appearance to others, or your personality. What you see on social media is what a person wants you to see. You don't know how their life really is. It's mostly a façade. People will withhold their real feelings and go with what everybody else says, thinks, or does. Don't fall for it. It'll just kill your confidence, and I think your parents are smart to say no. Trust them on this.

Yeah, I mainly trust them. Tiktok is just asking to get banned, and my father saw right through it from the beginning. My mother knows how involved you can get with things like Facebook, so she's trying to protect us and hopefully have us not make the same mistakes. You are right, social media hit me hard in the middle of quarantine when I was bored. I try and focus on what does matter: my feelings and how I present myself to others rather than trying to control something that shouldn't be. The masks people wear are for show, and I'm glad I'm not a part of it most of the time.

 

[LadyDestani]

I have avoided social media entirely, with the exception of a few forums like this one. I don't count forums, though, because they feel more private and anonymous. Nobody from my job is going to be able to link me to this account because I don't have any personal data linked to this account except my personal email and I trust TBT with that information versus other sites like Facebook, etc.

There are a lot of reasons I stay off of social media in general. One is that I'm just not that social. I don't mind occasionally joining a forum about a specific interest, but I don't need to talk to random people online day in and day out. Secondly, as I stated earlier, I don't trust those other sites with my information. Third, there are people that I've cut out of my life for various reasons and I don't want them tracking me down again through social media. Finally, I have heard too many people talk about how toxic it can be and I don't need that kind of negativity bringing me down mentally. I used to read comments on YouTube videos that I would watch (I never made a YouTube account or subscribed to anything), but I had to stop that because the comments were so unbearable sometimes.

The only reason I've ever been tempted to sign up for a social media account was Facebook and that's only because my sister-in-law has taken to posting pictures of my niece and nephews almost exclusively there. She used to text me some of the photos as well so I could see what was going on in their lives, but she's too busy for that now and just uses Facebook as her only source of communicating with family. Since she lives in a different state, I don't get to see the kids very often, so it'd be nice to keep up with them. But I haven't reached a point where I feel comfortable getting on Facebook to do that and I don't know if I ever will.

 

[Uffe]

Yeah, I mainly trust them. Tiktok is just asking to get banned, and my father saw right through it from the beginning. My mother knows how involved you can get with things like Facebook, so she's trying to protect us and hopefully have us not make the same mistakes. You are right, social media hit me hard in the middle of quarantine when I was bored. I try and focus on what does matter: my feelings and how I present myself to others rather than trying to control something that shouldn't be. The masks people wear are for show, and I'm glad I'm not a part of it most of the time.

I never saw the hype with TikTok. I've seen some really good ones, but most of it just seems cringy. I grew up with my mom being pretty strict about who I spoke with online when I was younger. It used to be don't tell a person your real name, your age, where you live, don't share your phone number, don't give out any person info, and definitely don't show people what you look like. Nowadays it's like people do all of that without realizing that they're putting themselves out there. People have gotten so comfortable with sharing things online, it's actually scary if you think about it. I think parents should let their kids be independent, but also know when to put a limit. The reason I said trust them on being strict is because they're not doing it to be mean. They just want you to be safe, and I'm sure you know this, but some kids don't. Definitely take care of yourself, both physically and mentally.

Anyway, sorry coming off as preachy or whatever. I just saw you comparing yourself to others and for some reason felt the need to let you know that you shouldn't, because that's not healthy to have that sort of mindset. It's important to love yourself.

 

[Kuroh]

My opinion is that there's too much cyberbullying and toxicity on social media, despite everyone preaching how they're against those things. Too many people have a "you're either with me or against me" mentality now + "black-and-white thinking" (thinking every person is either "100% good" or "100% bad")

I remember in fandoms back on Tumblr people would harass others simply because they shipped a fictional pairing they didn't like. Now, Tumblrians have moved to Twitter and cannot handle any opinions that doesn't agree with theirs...

 

[Xara]

the only social media that i really use is instagram - granted, i have facebook and twitter accounts but i use those a lot less frequently than i do instagram. i used to be a lot more involved with social media - i constantly fretted about followers and posting and sharing stuff to my story to ensure that i remained ‘active’ but that’s changed a lot over the last few months - there’s a part of me that still worries about that kind of stuff and still keeps an eye on the numbers but it doesn’t affect me as much as it used to. now, i just go on there whenever i feel like it and to look at cool posts and talk to my friends. now, i’m more interested in my enjoyment than numbers.

i think social media has always had a bit of a negative impact on me - when i was a bit younger, it was mainly negative to my self esteem and how i perceived myself but as i got older and during the last 2-4 years, it became less about that and more about the fact that maintaining a social media ‘presence’ had begun to feel like a chore and a responsibility rather than an option. so, i cut back - i prioritized other things and more important things until i realized that social media should never feel like an obligation or something that you have to participate in - it can be fun to be apart of but it’s never necessary.

long story short, my relationship with social media is a lot healthier than it used to be - there’s definitely some toxic stuff out there on every platform but it’s not all bad. as long as it doesn’t start to consume you, social media can be a nice thing to have around aha

 

[mizzsnow]

When I logged in to twitter the other day to find dream addresses to visit in ACNH I stumbled on "discourse" that basically amounted to "if you use a skintone darker than you in real life, you are a racist" and I just lost at least 20 years off my lifespan reading it. People on twitter are literally so obnoxious
(btw, I don't think it needs to be said why this line of reasoning is incredibly stupid but I just want to go ahead and say it's okay to use any skintone you want, speaking as a brown person myself. It's a game, I genuinely couldn't care less)

So I browse places like twitter and instagram and tumblr for content but I try to keep posting to a minimum since these places are just extremely toxic and you can get "cancelled" for just about anything (aka middle and high-school aged kids looking for a target to cyberbully)
but I don't want to just discount them entirely because I've met a lot of great friends online and if I want to have a successful career in my field, eventually I'm going to have to take advantage of a platform to network and put myself out there (not looking forward to that because I'm a huge introvert)

 

[Mayor Ng]

Firstly, to answer your questions. Yes, I do use social media. I think social media is a good thing.

The social media that I use frequently at the moment are Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. I believe social media is a good platform to keep track and stay connected with your friends that you meet throughout your life. Facebook has been around for awhile and it's a really good platform to keep track of how your friends are doing. When I was younger, I felt peer-pressured to have more friends on Facebook because having more friends meant you were popular or well-liked. As I aged, I realised that it was very superficial and no one have the right to dictate how I live my life as long as I'm not hurting anybody. Now, I only keep friends who I want to keep track of and unfriended people or old acquaintances that I no longer meet or stay in contact with. Instagram is very similar to Facebook. LinkedIn gives you a platform to network with other professionals.

Social media makes the world more connected and it can bring attention of a lot of people to a particular issue. There are over 7 billion people on this planet and if half of that population is on social media, that's a lot of people. So it is very important for the world to stay connected to stay up-to-date on current happenings.

Regarding about toxicity, it's because people do not suffer consequence for what they say in social media, they can hide behind fake profile pictures and accounts. It is up to you whether you want to deal with all that. I use social media solely for staying connected with my friends so I don't have much issue with it

 

[Uffe]

My opinion is that there's too much cyberbullying and toxicity on social media, despite everyone preaching how they're against those things. Too many people have a "you're either with me or against me" mentality now + "black-and-white thinking" (thinking every person is either "100% good" or "100% bad")

I remember in fandoms back on Tumblr people would harass others simply because they shipped a fictional pairing they didn't like. Now, Tumblrians have moved to Twitter and cannot handle any opinions that doesn't agree with theirs...

I can't tell you how many times I've seen people stand up against cyberbullying, and then went out of their way to bully others. It's so hypocritical. I also hate this black and white thinking. I'm not saying I'm immune to having ever had that kind of mentality, but some people hate that you'll sit on the fence and hear both sides.

 

[kayleee]

I have various social media accounts but I rarely use them. I never really post or interact with people on Facebook, occasionally I like to check in on family/friends/people from my past and see what they are up to. And I use Facebook to sometimes post in animal crossing groups or book club groups but other than that I don’t care for it much. I use Instagram more, but even then it’s not much. I have a twitter that I’ve never tweeted or followed anyone on, I just use it to look at animal crossing related stuff lmao.

I feel like social media is both bad and good; good because you have the potential to have positive interactions with a lot of people, and bad because there are a lot of really nasty people out there and social media can really open your eyes to it (I’m looking at you Facebook comment sections)