Using Social Media

[scottkoz20]

Something that I found intriguing is the number of SCF members that recently stated that they don't use Social media. @Rabs asked the question in that thread if it had to do with age. My thought is that its less to do with age, but potentially more to do with the nature of our polarized views of politics. I can only speak for myself, but I have started to ignore friends that are only posting stuff about politics that fits their own views.

What are your thoughts about this?

[camsue]

Right there with you originally had it just to keep up with family but it has come to so much more lately.

[doniceage]

Facebook claims it brings folk together but in reality it divides us. Especially on the political factions as has been stated above. I like discussing things but there are too many people who drink the cool aid and will not even listen to issues on the other side. I think people avoiding Facebook are smart as less drama is always a good thing.

Don

[bakemeister52]

I too did it mostly for family and for my military friends but I have cut way back do to religion and politics. People slam the President, policemen and push how great they are but no one knows for sure what the truth is because you can hide behind what they are saying and how do we know it is true or fake.

[pwaldo]

Never used social media and never will. I'm young and most of the people I know my age haven't either. Always thought it was just kids and old people on Facebook. Now the kids have moved over to Instagram and Snapchat and Facebook is just a sinking ship full of people who post pictures of their cats or rant about the President.

[captkirk42]

I use Facebook to keep up with friends and family. I mostly use computers to access it but am finding myself checking it on my android mobile smartphone just as often. I don't use it to make trading card exchanges. I don't do much trading anymore. I'm mostly just group box breaks, and here I'm in the Football Team Traders group.

I have Twitter, but rarely use it. Again I don't trade or sell cards on it. Lately my email alerts that someone I"m following on Twitter had their post go viral and if it is a celeb the tweet "made the news".

I am in the middle-age white male age group (early 50s). As others have said I don't think using social media is primarily an age thing, age is a factor, but as one person pointed out it seems to becoming a platform thing (computer vs. handheld devices (smartphone, pad)).

Personally I get frustrated with smart phones and tablets automatically going to the mobile version of a website while viewing them. Then switching back to them first opportunity after you have "switched" to the regular desktop version. Even if you have "bookmarked" the regular version. I also am very annoyed at the limitations that Blogger (blogspot) has with mobile devices. I thought it would be great to use my tablet with some of my blogging activities, but since it prefers to go the mobile route and Blogger seems to be 50/50 about allowing mobile devices using the blogging widgets and software I can't do much on the dang thing. So my blog making/writing activities are restricted to regular PCs (desktop and laptop whatever).

[Rabs]

For those that don't like seeing all the political or religious posts on FB, all you have to do is either unfollow or unfriend that person. Problem solved!

It was really bad during the last election and even now from time to time depending on what is going on (gun control, etc.).

[halfpint33]

I was on FB until recently when I decided it was time to leave. I too had had my fill of the political bs. I don't care who ya voted for it's your business not mine. But if we disagree leave it at that. Too many these can't do that. But my main reason for leaving it was I was addicted to it. I have many hobbies other than card collecting and you can find pages upon pages of that on FB. It was taking time from my actual hobbies. So I decided to let it go. I did do alot of buying/selling/trading on there and with lil problems.

[Rabs]

I was on FB until recently when I decided it was time to leave. I too had had my fill of the political bs. I don't care who ya voted for it's your business not mine. But if we disagree leave it at that. Too many these can't do that. But my main reason for leaving it was I was addicted to it. I have many hobbies other than card collecting and you can find pages upon pages of that on FB. It was taking time from my actual hobbies. So I decided to let it go. I did do alot of buying/selling/trading on there and with lil problems.

Any particular FB trading groups you would recommend?

[WilyWestbrook0]

I'm 33.

Half a year ago, I deleted my old Facebook social media that had my full name, which I'd had since 2006 (I was part of the early college student demographic that Facebook catered to in its beginning days). Now I just use part of my name and keep my list to ten friends, most of whom are family.

Facebook can indeed be a big time-waster. People are free to use it as they see fit (within law and reason, of course), but personally I'm happier I spend less time on it than I used to, and keep my contacts to people I'm actually close to. Not just less political bickering (which is important, I agree), but also less stuff to sort through.

All that said, real face-to-face contact is more meaningful, and always will be.