Should you delete social media? That’s the wrong question.
mehretbiruk.com
Should you delete social media? That’s the wrong question.
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Re: Should you delete social media? That’s the wrong question.
#2Thanks, I needed this.
Re: Should you delete social media? That’s the wrong question.
#3The alternatives only suck because we've been made lazy by the seeming ease with which social media facilitates human contact and interaction. Yes, you absolutely should delete social media, and yes, making an effort with people will feel like hard work. But it will be worth it.
I personally think sites like HN and Reddit are better forms of social media because they don't necessarily try to replace the contact you should have with friends and family. If I interacted with friends on Facebook, I felt like I'd already done enough with/for them, and left it at that. Without it, I make more of an effort to stay in touch. But at least on HN, this isn't a replacement for my friend circle, it's just more of an interest group that provides some interesting reading and conversations.
Re: Should you delete social media? That’s the wrong question.
#4As someone who quit social media a couple of years ago, I would say, yes, you should quit social media (regardless of whether that's the question). It is wonderful for one's mental health.
It's true that you will lose a lot of connections, but you will manage to stay in touch with the people that matter.
Re: Should you delete social media? That’s the wrong question.
#5I appreciate this essay and I think your observation is true, broadly speaking. However one thing I find consistently lacking from the “digital minimalism” space is recognition of the things that social media has eliminated or made harder. The pandemic has compounded this problem. It’s not just that using social media for relationships is individually easier—it’s that the network effects eventually make it so that social infrastructure moves online and eliminates non-digital avenues for community. The logistics of IRL meetups are an enormous hurdle compared to instantaneous online communication, so people just…stop doing IRL events. My friends and family lead busy lives and rely on social media to maintain relationships because the alternative social infrastructure simply does not exist. It’s like car ownership—more cars makes city planning revolve around cars, undermines the critical mass for public transit, and makes everything that ISN’T car-based more difficult. It’s not just a matter of personal choice at that point, but of commons.
Re: Should you delete social media? That’s the wrong question.
#6The alternatives only suck because we've been made lazy by the seeming ease with which social media facilitates human contact and interaction. Yes, you absolutely should delete social media, and yes, making an effort with people will feel like hard work. But it will be worth it. I personally think sites like HN and Reddit are better forms of social media because they don't necessarily try to replace the contact you s…
> they don't necessarily try to replace the contact you should have with friends and family
They may not aim to replace those interactions but they definately eat in to what would otherwise be friend or family time for a lot of people. I personally find reddit too negative for my taste but HN strikes a good balance, on the whole I would probably be better off if i limited my time here.
Re: Should you delete social media? That’s the wrong question.
#7As someone who quit social media a couple of years ago, I would say, yes, you should quit social media (regardless of whether that's the question). It is wonderful for one's mental health. It's true that you will lose a lot of connections, but you will manage to stay in touch with the people that matter.
I think its great that you did this and realized some benefit but isn't HN social media?
Re: Should you delete social media? That’s the wrong question.
#8As someone who quit social media a couple of years ago, I would say, yes, you should quit social media (regardless of whether that's the question). It is wonderful for one's mental health. It's true that you will lose a lot of connections, but you will manage to stay in touch with the people that matter.
I think its great that you did this and realized some benefit but isn't HN social media?
I wouldn't consider HN social media, but instead a news aggregator with a robust comment section. These things existed long before the emergence of social-media networks.
Who am I? Who are you? We don't know. There are no friends, connections, or personal details shared. Interactions are fleeting and temporary.
Re: Should you delete social media? That’s the wrong question.
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think its great that you did this and realized some benefit but isn't HN social media?
I wouldn't consider HN social media, but instead a news aggregator with a robust comment section. These things existed long before the emergence of social-media networks. Who am I? Who are you? We don't know. There are no friends, connections, or personal details shared. Interactions are fleeting and temporary.
Reading and writing HN comments can suck as much time as social media. I'd say if it sucks too much time for your taste, quit. If it doesn't, good for you.
Re: Should you delete social media? That’s the wrong question.
#10What is “social media” in this context?
I’m barely on any “social” websites other than HN. Getting off Twitter was great. But almost all my friends are on Telegram. They are all over the world and many I’ve known for years. The heat death of the universe is going to happen sooner than me giving up instant messaging.
I feel like some of these articles need context or the author has completely different circumstances than I do.