Social Media - discuss

[speeeeeeedie]

What are people's opinions of social media? Facebook? Instagram? Twitter? TikTok? Snapchat? Many others too. Is it good? Bad? In between?

I have no interest in them, this is the only social media account I have. Am I in the minority?

Facebook in particular gets lambasted a lot over here, with Zuckerberg rarely helping himself in the good publicity stakes. The US government filed suit against them yesterday asking for them to be broken up. The government portend that as they own Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp they have monopoly power, which has effectively driven out competition.

On a macro level they've been accused of influencing political changes, and can be seen as all encompassing, but how are they to an individual? Or are they a reflection of the individuals that use them? An idiot in the pub is going to be an idiot everywhere. 

 

[Silas]

Have you watched The Social Dilemma on Netflix yet? Pretty interesting. 

[RoverDom]

28 minutes ago, speeeeeeedie said:

Or are they a reflection of the individuals that use them? An idiot in the pub is going to be an idiot everywhere. 

This is a large part of it tbh

 

I like it, I use it a fair bit. I have Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram, I post on rare occasions but largely just to follow others. I used to have snapchat but that was in my single days (I cant actually think of another use for it now). Done tinder and bumble as well. I have whatsapp if you count that as well. I wouldn't say im obsessed but it keeps my hands busy whilst I take a dump. 

The problem many people have with it is the majority of people post the best picture of themselves so to others it looks like they are living the perfect life which both breeds and masks a lot of insecurity. If you're using it i think you've got to not read a lot into what's on there otherwise you'll end up in a dark place if that makes sense?

I'd worry about young people growing up with it. That may sound hypocritical from someone who has had some form of social media since the age of 13 but I feel at that time it was in its infancy, it was a time where social media was essentially an extension of your physical interactions rather than this opportunity to create your perfect virtual self and also hide behind the keyboard saying awful awful things.

 

The other thing is it's amazing the things you can find from the information people put online (I'm probably quite bad tbh). I was on a course about the very subject and the things you can do to find people online are amazing and a bit scary. I do it from time to time, not in a creepy way, just out of curiosity. I pick someone at random and see what I can find out about them. Just an exercise in what's out there (I dont use the information for anything). Cant remember the conversation but my mum made the bold claim that everyone she works with is super careful on social media, within about 5mins I had her head teachers d.o.b, address, graduation date, wedding date, work and education history. 

[Mike E]

5 minutes ago, RoverDom said:

This is a large part of it tbh

 

I like it, I use it a fair bit. I have Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram, I post on rare occasions but largely just to follow others. I used to have snapchat but that was in my single days (I cant actually think of another use for it now). Done tinder and bumble as well. I have whatsapp if you count that as well. I wouldn't say im obsessed but it keeps my hands busy whilst I take a dump. 

The problem many people have with it is the majority of people post the best picture of themselves so to others it looks like they are living the perfect life which both breeds and masks a lot of insecurity. If you're using it i think you've got to not read a lot into what's on there otherwise you'll end up in a dark place if that makes sense?

I'd worry about young people growing up with it. That may sound hypocritical from someone who has had some form of social media since the age of 13 but I feel at that time it was in its infancy, it was a time where social media was essentially an extension of your physical interactions rather than this opportunity to create your perfect virtual self and also hide behind the keyboard saying awful awful things.

 

The other thing is it's amazing the things you can find from the information people put online (I'm probably quite bad tbh). I was on a course about the very subject and the things you can do to find people online are amazing and a bit scary. I do it from time to time, not in a creepy way, just out of curiosity. I pick someone at random and see what I can find out about them. Just an exercise in what's out there (I dont use the information for anything). Cant remember the conversation but my mum made the bold claim that everyone she works with is super careful on social media, within about 5mins I had her head teachers d.o.b, address, graduation date, wedding date, work and education history. 

This in a nutshell. You need to understand if you're using it that you're interacting with idealised versions of other people. Even with the best will in the world nobody is truly who their Facebook avatar says they are.

[oldjamfan1]

Can't really add anything to RoverDom's excellent post, other than it has helped me to reconnect with ex football team mates, school friends and even extended family in a really positive way. The flip side of the same coin is that you do occasionally get people coming back into your life - in a virtual sense anyway - that you haven't seen in 30 years for a reason!

I used Twitter a lot in my previous job, not so much these days, and also LinkedIn has proved useful on a couple of occasions, but its mainly BRFCS and Facebook for me. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

This site and an engineering site I go on are the only two social media contributions I make. I waste enough time as it is.

[Gav]

I only use this site, never had Facebook, never had twitter, tick tock or Instagram.

I was once accused of being someone on The Telegraph website, never had an account, hardly ever read the comments. 

Social media can do a hell of a lot of good, keeps dispersed families connected, some of the charity stuff that happens via social media warms the heart, it really does. Its been a god send to many families with elderly relatives who are isolating during Covid for example. Some of the work to find donors for cancer patients has been massively expanded with the introduction of social media and much more.

But the bad side is bullshit spreading, radicalisation, abuse, child abuse, sexual exploitation and I could go on. I'm not naïve enough to think this wouldn't go on without social media, but they do provide a platform and a relatively safe space for these people to operate. 

On a personal note I'd lose very little if they shut social media down tomorrow, I'd miss Jim, den, TS,  Philipl and 47er of course, and many more, but I'd cope 😃

 

Edited December 11, 2020 by Gav

[RoverDom]

Cant believe I didnt make the cut 😭

[Gav]

13 minutes ago, RoverDom said:

Cant believe I didnt make the cut 😭

I almost deleted the line to be honest, though it might get me in trouble 😇

Edited December 11, 2020 by Gav

[Dreams of 1995]

Social media is a really good way of keeping up to date with new or upcoming releases too. You have musicians announcing new albums or developers announce new games / hardware  etc all through social media. 

I follow a lot of musicians through social media, and it means we can keep in track of where they will play, events upcoming or little gigs they have done that wouldn't otherwise be released on album or whatever.

There are a lot of people who can get lost in it but you have that with most things. Addiction is not consigned to social media or alcohol or gambling or whatever.

Personally I think a life without some form of social media would be strange now. It would be very difficult to keep in touch with some of your friends. We are spread around the globe at the moment, and without social media I'd not speak to some people for months at a time. 

If you treat social media as your news source you are probably setting yourself up to fail. It is unreliable as it is almost unregulated - anyone can put anything on there - so in that respect you have to treat it with caution and use it for what it is good at.

[Ewood Ace]

I only use Twitter, I very rarely post on there but I find it very good for keep up with news especially local news and it is by far the best way to keep across all the local sport.

[RoverDom]

And of course as a teenager, all the hot girls posting their holiday photos was a dream come true. 

[darrenrover]

12 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

This site and an engineering site I go on are the only two social media contributions I make. I waste enough time as it is.

Given up buying and selling watches Tyrone or do I have you confused with someone else on here?

[47er]

19 hours ago, Gav said:

I only use this site, never had Facebook, never had twitter, tick tock or Instagram.

I was once accused of being someone on The Telegraph website, never had an account, hardly ever read the comments. 

Social media can do a hell of a lot of good, keeps dispersed families connected, some of the charity stuff that happens via social media warms the heart, it really does. Its been a god send to many families with elderly relatives who are isolating during Covid for example. Some of the work to find donors for cancer patients has been massively expanded with the introduction of social media and much more.

But the bad side is bullshit spreading, radicalisation, abuse, child abuse, sexual exploitation and I could go on. I'm not naïve enough to think this wouldn't go on without social media, but they do provide a platform and a relatively safe space for these people to operate. 

On a personal note I'd lose very little if they shut social media down tomorrow, I'd miss Jim, den, TS,  Philipl and 47er of course, and many more, but I'd cope 😃

 

For the first and possibly only time I agree with every single word you wrote Gav!😍

[RoverDom]

8 hours ago, darrenrover said:

Given up buying and selling watches Tyrone or do I have you confused with someone else on here?

Derrick Trotter maybe?

[darrenrover]

13 minutes ago, RoverDom said:

Derrick Trotter maybe?

No definitely not: he and Rodders are currently busy mixing batches of Covid-19 vaccine, are they not?

I'm sure Tyrone once said he was part of a social media forum for specialist watches, hence the question.

[Gav]

1 hour ago, 47er said:

For the first and possibly only time I agree with every single word you wrote Gav!😍

I was talking to someone formerly of this parish yesterday, I've been posting on this site for 22yrs, we must have agreed more than once surely 😂

[RoverDom]

45 minutes ago, Gav said:

I was talking to someone formerly of this parish yesterday, I've been posting on this site for 22yrs, we must have agreed more than once surely 😂

I'd have just been moving on to key stage 2 back then 

[47er]

53 minutes ago, Gav said:

I was talking to someone formerly of this parish yesterday, I've been posting on this site for 22yrs, we must have agreed more than once surely 😂

🤔

[RoverDom]

On 10/12/2020 at 22:11, Silas said:

Have you watched The Social Dilemma on Netflix yet? Pretty interesting. 

Watching it now (been on my list for a while)

 

Its very eye opening even though I thought I was aware of what they were doing. It's a free service, that is worth billions, of course they're exploiting our data and usage habits for targeted ads etc but this was very eye opening about the actual extent of it. 

[K-Hod]

Think Rover Dom has nailed it overall, but it’s a necessary evil for me. 
Dreams of 1995 also made a great point re music. It’s given me the heads up so many times re gigs and new releases, it can be a really useful tool. It’s got its downsides, sure, but I couldn’t imagine life without it nowadays...

[speeeeeeedie]

Some interesting points.

At a macro level I think that they can be problematic. Their modus operandi is to make money, they do that by harvesting your data. 

Yet at a micro level they can help.

Living overseas it would probably benefit me if I had Facebook or Instagram to keep in touch with people who don't live close. But I've never felt the need to do it. 

I may give the Social Dilemma a whirl. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

On 12/12/2020 at 08:08, darrenrover said:

No definitely not: he and Rodders are currently busy mixing batches of Covid-19 vaccine, are they not?

I'm sure Tyrone once said he was part of a social media forum for specialist watches, hence the question.

Yeah, I was on the " Rolex Owners " site for a while. I barred myself in the end. There are some real snowflakes in the USA. It was  mainly Yanks who were running the show. One guy comes on with photographs of a watch he'd just bought. He asks " What do we all think of his new purchase ? " So I told him  -" It's not my style,  It's too bling, I don't like fancy coloured dials, I don't like roman numerals and I don't like " open heart " style watches ". That's the style of watch where you have a window in the dial so you can see the movement. 

The moderator gets on to me - " Why am I raining on the guys parade, I'm spoiling his day ". Well a few words got exchanged regarding the fact that the guy asked for my opinion and he got it. I was just pissed of with their attitude, there's a lot of show offs on the site and that was the final straw.

[darrenrover]

19 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Yeah, I was on the " Rolex Owners " site for a while. I barred myself in the end. There are some real snowflakes in the USA. It was  mainly Yanks who were running the show. One guy comes on with photographs of a watch he'd just bought. He asks " What do we all think of his new purchase ? " So I told him  -" It's not my style,  It's too bling, I don't like fancy coloured dials, I don't like roman numerals and I don't like " open heart " style watches ". That's the style of watch where you have a window in the dial so you can see the movement. 

The moderator gets on to me - " Why am I raining on the guys parade, I'm spoiling his day ". Well a few words got exchanged regarding the fact that the guy asked for my opinion and he got it. I was just pissed of with their attitude, there's a lot of show offs on the site and that was the final straw.

Thanks Tyrone, I was beginning to think I'd imagined it.

You should have invited them on here, it would soon have toughened 'em up!  Americans can often be like that but can't hack gold, old, Lancastrian honesty and forthrightness!

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

7 minutes ago, darrenrover said:

Thanks Tyrone, I was beginning to think I'd imagined it.

You should have invited them on here, it would soon have toughened 'em up!  Americans can often be like that but can't hack gold, old, Lancastrian honesty and forthrightness!

I'm still interested in watches but I'm not buying much at the moment. I got rid of a couple of nice watches a year or two back just before " Rolex " prices started going through the roof and I'm still pissed off about it. One was a " Thunderbird ", they're as rare as hens teeth. When you qualify as a pilot with " The Thunderbirds " ( The USAF version of The Red Arrows ) they give you one of these !  Mistakes I have made No 397.

Edited December 14, 2020 by Tyrone Shoelaces