Slashdot Mirror
Ask Slashdot: Living Without Social Media In 2015?
An anonymous reader writes On Slashdot, we frequently write derogatory comments regarding social networking sites. We bash Facebook and the privacy implications associated with having a great deal of your life put out there for corporations to monetize. Others advocate for deleting your Facebook profile. Six months ago, I did exactly that. However, as time went on, I have fully realized social media's tacit importance to function in today's world, especially if you are busy advancing your career and making the proper connections to do so. Employers expect a LinkedIn profile that they can check and people you are meeting expect a Facebook account. I have heard that not having an account on the almighty Facebook could label you as a suspicious person. I have had employers express hesitation in hiring me (they used the term "uncomfortable") and graduate school interviewers have asked prying questions regarding some things that would normally be on a person's social media page. Others have literally recoiled in horror at the idea of someone not being on Facebook. I have found it quite difficult to even maintain a proper social life without a social media account to keep up to date with any sort of social activities (even though most of them are admittedly quite mundane). Is living without social media possible in 2015? Does social media have so much momentum that the only course of action is simply to sign up for such services to maintain normality despite the vast privacy issues associated with such sites? Have we forgotten how to function without Facebook?
Just be an old codger like anyone with a 5 digit UID. They don't expect that much of us. If we can handle email then we're doing better than our elected representatives.
And, if you don't mind, off the lawn.
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
I get having a "professional" social media profile (a la LinkedIn) but no way in hell is a personal profile going to be up for discussion in any job interview I have. My private life is my life, not my employer's or prospective employer's. If they can't understand that I don't want to work for them anyway.
I don't give a shit, in my personal life if people "expect a facebook". I don't even have all my real-life friends associated with my one social media profile, I'm sure as hell not handing it out to every person I meet at some bar or party.
"Growing old is inevitable; growing up is optional."
I don't use Facebook. I am on LinkedIn but I never update anything. And I don't care. If an employer wants my years of experience they will take me as I am. If they are going to reject me because I don't waste time on Facebook, then I probably wouldn't last long there. Their loss.
tl:dr - use whatever internet system that has the functions and control of your data that matches your requirements
First, employers are not demanding LinkedIn pages or broadly looking down upon applicants without a facebook...and the idea that they mentioned it in an employment situation, with all the laws in place about fair hiring, *multiple times*...it seems like exaggeration...
However, the question of what kind/how much of your life to share on the internet is definitely a worthy question.
The answer is the understand the function and complexity of the system, the internet in this case. Facebook is one system of many. It has characteristics. One is the default to "sharing".
Instagram is another system...it has less information and simpler controls on "sharing"
**your instagram or twitter can hook into your facebook**
so, a person could use exclusively Instagram, Twitter or even a blog of their own creation, and have it **auto-post** to facebook...thereby having dynamic content on their page without ever going to facebook.com regularly.
the answer is CONTROL
what "social media" internet system should you use?
the one that has the FUNCTIONS you need and gives YOU the CONTROL over your data at a level you are comfortable with
Thank you Dave Raggett
Nonconformism is always viewed with suspicion by the masses. Either you have the courage of your convictions or you don't. Any company that's going to judge me based on the lack of a Facebook account isn't someplace I'd want to work.
Or a phone, for that matter.
You can always send a letter. It's not like it's a big deal if we can't get to you TODAY. Anyone who doesn't plan more than a few days ahead is just asking for trouble anyway. The US was founded in a time when it could takes months to get a response from Europe.
So, no, it's really not necessary.
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
The reason employers want everyone to be on social media: They can use it to gather information about you that would be illegal or inappropriate to ask in a job interview.
Whenever someone asks why you don't have a social media account, all you need to tell them is:
I'm not a narcissist.
You don't believe your life is anyone else's business, no need to show them pictures of your latest adventure, no need for gratification from the unwashed masses. You are who you are.
We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
Is living without social media possible in 2015?
Stupid question. It's not only possible, it's easy. I've never had a Facebook or Twitter account and frankly it hasn't mattered a bit. Those services offer me nothing I value. If someone thinks you are odd or "recoils in horror" that you don't bother with Facebook then that tells you everything you need to know about them right there. Someone who looks down on you for ignoring the latest fad is an idiot you probably don't need to associate with. You don't actually need to know the banal details of everyone's Facebook account to have an active social life.
You do not need Facebook to have friends.
Nobody really cares what you say on Twitter.
You can get a job without LinkedIn.
Plenty of ways to share photos without Instagram.
Have we forgotten how to function without Facebook?
No. Seriously Facebook is NOT and never has been a necessity for most people. If Facebook entertains you then by all means have at it but it is unequivocally not a necessity. Email might almost be a necessity though even that is debatable.
I don't have a FB or LinkedIn account and get along just fine.
I'd like to know why people consider Facebook to be the epitome of social media when Slashdot's been in the business for way longer.
Really... take a look at someone's profile on here sometime. You can learn a lot about a Slashdotter with an account. No need for Facebook.
Not to mention the fact that Slashdot accounts get ranked at the top of search results....
FB / twitter/ myspace/friendster/ whatever are the exact opposite of 'social'.
Reading people's status updates, or liking a photo does not constitute being social. Having people over for dinner, meeting for coffee.. that's social. Basically; interacting face to face is really the only acceptable definition of the term.
Things like FB detract from that, giving a very poor simulacrum of social interaction -- all the while further removing ourselves from actual social interactions and pushing the boundaries of autism ever outward.
Civilization has existed for ~12k years, human beings have not changed. Social interaction has not changed -- deluding ourselves into thinking that "Social Media" is somehow a surrogate, or worse a replacement, is top shelf idiocy.
... and yet I do have a LinedIn account... and I still have a few active circles in Google+
I ended up at LinedIn just because it was the easiest and simplest way to keep tabs on people I used to work for and with. It's handy for that.
As for Facebook, I just don't have any reason to use it. I like my current active circle of friends and we call and email each other directly when we want to be in touch. I'm not interested in the time-sink that it is for so many people. I keep hearing tales from friends about the politics of "friendship" and all the goofy crap they get from people they really don't know, or don't want to know anymore.
I also don't want to share a whole lot of stuff with the wide-wide world. I don't want to read what other people are sharing. I just don't care about that crap.
This notion that Facebook is a kind of adjunct to a resume is a little disquieting. I mean, if someone wants to know more about me, all they have to do is suggest that we go out for a long lunch or maybe a beer after work and I'm happy to talk about just about anything. No window dressing, nothing in print. If someone wants to get to know me, they can do exactly that, with me, in real life.
Fortunately, I am also old enough that not having a Facebook page isn't so unusual in my age group. So at least I have that.
.. pa-ra-bo-la, pa-ra-bo-la, 2 pi R, 2 pi R, where's your latus rectum, where's your latus rectum, 2 pi R
That's what I don't get... If you don't have a Facebook account then you're probably not going to be wasting time at work on Facebook...
When I was relatively young in the world of work I had listed my social club memberships on my resume as I had held officer positions in those clubs at times. Now that this social crap appears to be a problem I think I'll have to leave such memberships there so that I look 'well rounded' without having to deal with an online presence.
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
I have never signed up for Facebook. I can count of the fingers of one hand with some fingers missing the number of times I have had someone say anything about me not having a Facebook account. I have seen online groups, where they have their own site nonetheless, where some of the members make meeting preparations or discussions on Facebook. I find this to be bizarre and completely rude to others. Why not keep your discussions on the site that was made for those discussions. If I want to communicate with people, I will use email or text messaging, or even a phone call. But then again, I don't want to broadcast my life to a bunch of strangers, so I must be weird and suspicious! I do have a Linked In account as that serves a different purpose. It allows me to keep track of work contacts for future use. Facebook has no use to me though and I will not get an account there.
-- ssoorrrryy,, dduupplleexx sswwiittcchh oonn.. -Quote found on actual fortune cookie.
From where I sit it marks people as obviously more intelligent. Both services are little more than negative lottery tickets for most people. They gain nothing on the upside and open themselves up to the wrath of the mob. http://digg.com/2015/shame-and... .
If an employer has trouble with that. Just ask him if he wants to risk the splash damage of outrage directed at his employees, because they had the misfortune to say something that mobs of village idiots were waiting to misconstrue, or people who were looking for things to take offense at happened to find ?
Not using social media is like never using a knife. Both are dangerous, but when used properly and with care can be exceptionally useful.
Are there times I'm careless with social media? I suppose there are certainly times I could be more reserved. But the more you [properly] manage your social media accounts the more you can gain from them. While you do open yourself up to a certain degree of transparency, you also offer an opportunity for people who offer you something beneficial to find you (ex: old friends displaced by time and distance, other hobbiests who share your passion).
If you don't own and never use a knife or other sharp-edged tool, you'll never have to worry about cutting yourself while using one. You'll also find that there are many tasks which are far more difficult to accomplish without one. And despite what you read in the news, you're pretty unlikely to kill, or even severely injure, yourself if used properly.
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
Not really. Facebook has embedded themselves deeply with so many third-party websites that they can infer a lot on you simply as you use your browser after having used Facebook in the past.
The only winning move is not to play.
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
1) Set up a personal web page - a blog, works, but it doesn't ahve to be one. You can put whatever you want on it. This gives people something to check online - but gives YOU the full control over it. No one linking to you, posting to your page, no advertisers steeling your information.
2) Maintain weekly contact with your friends by hand. Pick a single day - Sunday, whatver - and email (or call your good friends) all your actual, real friends about what you are up to and ask questions. If they are really your friend, they will email you back.
3) If a potential employer asks an inappropriate question be polite but call them on it in a way that makes you look good. "How often do you drink?" should be responded to with "I don't drink at all at work - do you have a problem with people drinking on the job?" Any question about your sex life should be politely taken as if they hitting on you. "I really don't think it's appropriate to date potential coworkers".
4) Be ready for questions about Facebook and have a good answer to it. Something that sounds sane, rather than crazy. If you are female this one works VERY well "After I found out an X stalked me on Facebook, I decided to delete my account. I get so much more work done now." It also works for men, but not as well.
Be prepared to lose some fair-weather friends/work. Just as a TV Producer would lose jobs if he decided to no longer watch TV. But your real friends and most worthwhile jobs will still like you. (Except with Facebook - if you want a job with Facebook, JOIN FACEBOOK)
excitingthingstodo.blogspot.com
Well, you're not going to get a job chez moi.
(Nothing to do with linkedin -- we have a strict anti-slashdot policy).
Watch this Heartland Institute video
Have a FB account don't use it. Have Twitter don't use it. Maybe I'm just super boring -- but I have nothing I feel the need to broadcast or share online. But seeing how we've invented words like "overshare" -- I suspect most people fail to realize that very little actually merits a twat or wallposting
I liken it to dinner parties and other social venues. You get invited, you may not want to get dressed up and go but you go anyway.
Then I have elected the social media equivalent of saying I'm busy that night so i can stay home and eat pizza.... awesome!
Facebook: Actual friends and interests you have.
LinkedIn: Keep it strictly business.
Twitter: To follow the odd interest.
Google+: So you can say "I'm on Google+!"
I hate it when you see someone posting the same tripe across all their social networks. No one on LinkedIn cares what you ate for lunch.
Trolling is a art,
I don't bother with facebook, twitter, linkedin et al because it does not serve my purposes. It is sort of like working a part time job and not getting paid for it. I don't see anything that productive coming out of it. Though, I am considering using alternatives like Quitter, Diaspora, among other GNU social alternatives. However, they do seem to require a lot of effort and am not sure I want to invest in my time that way. Things like Vimeo and Flickr make more sense (to me) as you can work on video and image stills and share with a community to get critiques on your work. As for employment, while some may not hire you if you don't do social media, people also lost their jobs because of social media. It is a sad commentary that people may not hire you because you don't have a bloody linkedin account. I've been spammed mercilessly by linkedin and recall a time they used to go through user contact lists on e-mail clients. (come to think of it, that is how they spam people...) I understand why linkedin does this, but it is also terrible etiquette.
"SO we bide our time, waiting for a purer kick to bloom and the future is still bleak, uncertain and beautiful" -GSYBE
I would wager that 80% of my social circle all don't have a Facebook account. (age 28-36), non-tech people primarily [doctors, grad students, mechanic, cooks, artists]; all university educated, and well-learned.
It's generally not viewed as a "safe" item to have, or to participate in.
We are the transitory age of people where the internet kinda took off during high-cshool, and for me, the huge dot-com crash happened the year before I entered college, so I was completely isolated from that entire scenario, and have no real context for it. But, it presumably shaped how our education was, and to be taught to be suspicious of consolodating information online, because "anything you say can and will be used against you"
I would wager that 80% of my social circle all don't have a Facebook account. (age 28-36), non-tech people primarily [doctors, grad students, mechanic, cooks, artists]; all university educated, and well-learned.
It's generally not viewed as a "safe" item to have, or to participate in.
We are the transitory age of people where the internet kinda took off during high-cshool, and for me, the huge dot-com crash happened the year before I entered college, so I was completely isolated from that entire scenario, and have no real context for it. But, it presumably shaped how our education was, and to be taught to be suspicious of consolodating information online, because "anything you say can and will be used against you"
I don't have any presence on Facebook. If asked why not, I point out the similarities between Mark Zuckerberg and Satan's representative on earth.
However, my wife is on Facebook - she friends the children and handles any mass communications that must happen over there.
To a Lisp hacker, XML is S-expressions in drag.
Never had any of these "social" site profiles nor even any firm presence since the dial-up BBS days since none of them would make me any more sociable or charismatic since I'm a boring geeky nerd that only hangs out with other boring anti-social people. Instead I reach out of the people that I still keep in touch over direct communications methods or in-person and when I need to organize or attend a group even I send direct invitations or get them directly without broadcasting them publicly. Seems to work just fine and it's more direct and personal to keep in touch. Other people show up and disappear from my life if we don't communicate directly and that's normal part of life, the ones that keep reaching out to you or you to them mean something more and those relationships last longer.
Judging from what I hear and I've seen about social media it seems like a waste of valuable personal time on mundane and boring things that people end up posting and others end up reading. If something is important enough for you to hear someone will tell you about it the next time you actually communicate with them directly.
Old Codger Signing Off... +++...ATH...
A facebook account is useful for a few things, like event invitations, birthday reminders, and getting in touch with some people who seem to use it as their principal means of communication.
You can have a facebook account, and just keep tight control over what is on it, or even not post anything at all, or delete what you post after a while. This is basically what I do. I rarely post and sometimes go through and delete old posts. I also don't post any photos of myself on my profile, and don't allow tagged photos to be posted either.
You can control most of this. You could basically treat your Facebook account like your LinkedIn account and keep it clean for a general audience. Get closely familiar with all the privacy controls as well.
In other words, don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.
I really can't take this seriously. It seems like someone who works for Facebook wrote this.
Millions of people have perfectly normal social lives without facebook or with really minimal facebook use. I know a lot of people who log-in once a week. I know a lot of people who go long periods of time without ever using facebook.
I think the fact that the author thinks its almost impossible to live a normal life without it says more about him/her than it does about facebook.
When I read the headline, I sincerely thought this was an April Fool's joke, but then realized it's the day after. How sad. I'll knock out some of the more egregious lines from your submission.
"Employers expect a LinkedIn profile"
I've interviewed on site (and was hired on with some) with Google, Amazon, Blizzard Entertainment, SpaceX, StackExchange, Lockheed Martin, Siemens, Disney, and more. Not a single one of these groups has ever referenced my LinkedIn profile at any point during the interviewing process. Where are you getting the idea that it's expected?
"people you are meeting expect a Facebook account"
Who? I meet my wife, friends, family, and their extended colleagues regularly without ever referencing Facebook. You need to elaborate.
"I have heard that not having an account on the almighty Facebook could label you as a suspicious person"
You know what they say about rumors and opinions.
"I have had employers express hesitation in hiring me (they used the term "uncomfortable") and graduate school interviewers have asked prying questions regarding some things that would normally be on a person's social media page."
Anything on a person's personal social media page is off limits during a professional interview. LinkedIn? Sure. Facebook? Why would they even ask? What kind of "prying" questions are they asking? What's your favorite movie? Are you married? Fortunately, you can easily turn these idiots down by rejecting their questions.
"Is living without social media possible in 2015?"
Yes. Next stupid question?
The only winning move is to install noscript.
Or redirect their entries in /etc/hosts to 127.0.0.1.
That way myspace, digg, reddit, twitter, google+, pinterest, linkedin, and every other social site that's managed to get tracking scripts installed in other sites won't be able to track you.
file:
You dodged a bullet..
Facebook, et al. can only "put out" as much as you put in.
No, Facebook can only "put out" as much as everybody else puts in. For example my classmates from primary school are a tightly connected clique and since some of them have told Facebook they went to the same school, Facebook has correctly deduced that everybody in that clique probably went there too and is asking me to confirm it, but they basically know anyway. Another relative of mine did some genealogy thing and basically drew up the whole family tree for Facebook. Same with people tagging you in photos and checking you in and whatnot, even though you can hide it from your own timeline or even untag yourself Facebook knows that when a friend tagged you it was almost certainly correct. I doubt they really forget anything.
And most annoyingly, Facebook often knows when I send email because the one I send to has shared their address book/inbox with Facebook. There's no other way some of those "friend suggestions" could turn up on social media, so even when you try to keep a life separate from Facebook it's no good when the other end is being a tattle-tale. And I don't know if it's just my friends, but my impression is that you don't reach out and actually tell friends about the things that friends normally get told about. They post it to Facebook and expect people to have read it there, that's more or less the expected way to socialize. Not reading Facebook gets you the "Oh sorry, I didn't know you were stationed on a nuclear submarine under radio silence" looks.
Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
The youth are not embracing facebook. Facebook is a brand, and it is hated by too many taste makers. Facebook doesn't taste good. Any employer that likes facebook is already behind the curve, pun intended.
Most people on facebook are not on facebook. They have inactive profiles. They may check to peep those who are active, but beyond that, there is very little utility or upside to those who quit caring. And this is always a simple function of time; everyone quits caring eventually. Facebook will continue to insist these peepers are "active" but no, this bluff was tried by Google+ and it won't fool anyone. Those looking for a job might clean up their profile just in case, but this doesn't mean they're on or using facebook.
Facebook will become the next myspace. That's why Facebook, being run by people who know this well, is buying what could be to facebook what facebook was to myspace. That's why Instagram and WhatsApp needed to be purchased.
Facebook is moving beyond a platform. Social media to them is now about real estate. You can move off from facebook to instragram like one would from Santa Monica to Venice. But your landlord is still facebook.
Here is one concrete example of why Instagram is amazing and Facebook sucks. When a brand posts something on Instagram, there is no "promoting" their post, there is no "mining impressions", and there is no "paying for likes". There is no machine learning optimized feed. Instagram pushes a photo to everyone instantly, and the response is also unencumbered and immediate. And it has no ads. Unlike facebook, Instagram does not stand in between you and your followers. All their efforts into the quality of what facebook should be doing on facebook, yet the answer was to not be there at all. The presence of the "host" is not welcome in any social setting, not online or offline. We don't need the waiter or waitress to feed us at the restaurant while reading ads. That's facebook.
Seriously, facebook sucks. It's future is dead. Even just for the reason that my mom has twice as many friends than I do and all her peers love it. She just turned 70.
If I don't have a FB account, people think I'm suspicious. If I do have a FB account, people KNOW I'm suspicious!
Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
Facebook, Twitter, Google+... All of them require a signup before you can use them. Well, how am I supposed to know if I want to sign up, if it's worth signing up, if I can't try before "buying"?
When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
Good analogy, and I'd propose another one: social media is like alcohol. If you never go to a bar you may miss some situations where interesting people are met and friendships are made, and if you use it too much... well we know what happens. Also some people are naturally very attracted to it, and some not at all, while some have to force themselves to stay away.
I think it's best to drink the FB booze in very small amounts. Have an account, but don't put anything of value in there, just a couple of pics and a few irrelevant article shares. That gives you access to people without being much giving much information away, or requiring you to engage.
I stopped posting almost anything after I noticed in my daily life I was doing or seeing things and I thought about posting them -- it was taking mental energy away. I still check FB at least 4-5 times a day, and sometimes I see valuable stuff, probably still worth the small exposure to the overall FB toxicity.
The knife in my pocket is an elemental tool, serving very old and basic purposes. The downsides to using a knife are few. One of the huge pros of having and using knives is that they don't collect and resell the personal information they gather through their use.
Social media companies primary goal is not to provide you a platform on which to build your social life. It is to bait you into giving them information they can resell to slobbering marketing types eager to insert themselves into your rectum.
But besides those significant differences .. well... your analogy is still utterly s*&t.
All of my friends and family know that I don't have any such account, so they wouldn't be fooled in the first place. Even if they were, they'd certainly ask me about it! I don't see any real risk there.
My wife uses Facebook Religiously - does that count?
Seriously though - I've got no Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter etc. and I've managed just fine. :)
"There are people who do not love their fellow human being, and I _hate_ people like that!" - Tom Lehrer
Both are dangerous, but when used properly and with care can be exceptionally useful.
Not really a great analogy... People without knives (but who at least know of their existence) can immediately see their utility, regardless of their danger. Although some people without Facebook pages may avoid it out of some variety of fear, I dare say that the majority of people without them simply don't want one.
I think as a better analogy, you might compare FB to a sous vide machine - Yes, it serves a (very, very niche) purpose, and yes, we can all see what it does; but let's not kid ourselves, all the people rushing out to buy one only do it because it counts as this year's cool kitchen gadget (and more importantly, all their friends have one).
Facebook only has as much lasting power as it does because its utility has a certain "stickiness" to it - Once you join and all your friends join, it takes effort to have all your friends update their contact information for you; but if you never joined in the first place, it really doesn't "do" much you can't get elsewhere. The "wall", okay, you can't really get that anywhere else (without having all your "friends" go there as well), but far from appealing to me, I consider that an annoying feature. "So your friend wrote that to you?" "No, FB just thought I might like to see it" "So wait, does it randomly post your messages to other people you don't know?" "*crickets*".
you also offer an opportunity for people who offer you something beneficial to find you (ex: old friends displaced by time and distance, other hobbiests who share your passion).
I don't really see that as a selling point, though - I have stayed in touch with everyone from my past that I wanted to, and I have no shortage of opportunities to make new friends based on shared interests in the real world every single day. Meanwhile, that cute girl from my sophomore history class now counts as a soccer mom in her mid 30s and we have literally nothing in common beyond that insignificant footnote from our distant pasts.
I have no social media presence... Never had, never will.
Why do you think you need to willingly give up all your privacy, information, list of friends, hangouts, etc to a third party company? If facebook was a .gov and it was the elected few collecting all this information, would you still give it up? Why not? At least the government has many LAWS in place protecting you and what they can do with the information, a private company has none of these.
As far as my social life goes, I still attend parties all the time. I still attend events often. There still exists a thing called a "telephone" and "mouth" which are great tools for communication.
Today, Employeers and the government alike can request you friend them, or otherwise just buy/obtain all your information and make life-altering decisions about you based on that information. Today, Facebook is testing their "suicide prevention" scanning. That's something easy that they can get the heuristics right, before they switch it to other things: identifying drug users, minorities, people who belong to the wrong party, those who don't practice doublethink, etc.
"Everyone else is doing it" is hardly good reason for anything. Think for yourself. Be a person. Or don't, it's your choice. For now.
When they ask for your Facebook profile give them your Github profile instead.
I am very small, utmostly microscopic.
" Others have literally recoiled in horror at the idea of someone not being on Facebook. " I have not seen that in big firms, or in established firms with somewhat middle aged people. In younger start up maybe, but If a firm is suspicious because I don't use facebook, then frankly it is not a firm i want to work with : they are being suspicious of innocent things, so their paranoia will probably extend to worst things once you are in.
C. Sagan : A demon haunted world:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345409469/
visit randi.org
I confine my activities to the antisocial media, such as Slashdot.
Of course not, I'm a hypocrite -- aren't you?
Watch this Heartland Institute video
Employers should prefer you not to be on Facebook. My employers expect me to maintain their security and not to blab about their business to the world. Interviewers who knock people for not having a social media profile or a "fully developed" Linkedin profile are idiots. Unless you are in marketing or PR fields it shouldn't matter at all. Socially, you can compromise your own personal values to blend in, or you can live as you choose and not give a shit. The idea that someone without a social media presence is suspicious is an over generalization of human existence and a very unfortunate trend in society.