Many people assume that ALL of Gen Z is addicted to social media. And that’s far from true. I’m in the percent who avoids it like the plague!
But in today’s age, having an online presence is expected. It’s considered a virtual ID. Anyone who doesn’t use social media is looked at as suspicious. In the same breath, people complain about people oversharing on social media.
One article I read said employers are likelier to hire those with an online presence than those without. In translation, they want to snoop around and get a feel for the person.
To me, it’s unwise to weigh a person’s social media more highly than their (professional) application. After all, people often say social media is fake, and everyone curates their page to attract a specific audience. However, if this strategy works very well for companies, then who am I to disagree?
Anyway, here are my three main reasons for not using social media.
Number 3: Outdated Platforms
Some of the biggest platforms today are the oldest. Most came out in the early 2000s (when I was in preschool or elementary school). The “newer” platforms came out when I was finishing elementary and entering middle school, and that feels like a hundred years ago.
I wish the platforms were more willing to experiment, but they have little wiggle room. Customers are used to each platform’s layout, and changing it would cause intense backlash. And I know this because it happened to Instagram not long ago.
Number 2: Too many bots
It’s striking how tech companies know how to make billions, but don’t know how to eliminate bots. Or perhaps, they don’t want to get rid of bots because it gives the perception of high online activity. Regardless, it makes the experience lackluster when you don’t know if you’re interacting with actual human beings.
However, with AI growing increasingly more popular, some users may prefer this.
Number 1: Too much negativity
It is astonishing how much hatred there is online. Every business day, someone gets canceled for this comment or that post. And at times, I understand where people are coming from.
However, when you don’t allow someone to learn and grow, they typically do one of two things: insincerely apologize or double down. And since no one can truly be canceled, problematic people eventually find an audience who agrees with them. Distasteful rhetoric to one is poetry to another.
This is all unfortunate because, when you think about it, social media is a dimension in itself—a place where multiple cultures, generations, and nations gather together.
But people forget that everyone doesn’t share the same morals, values, or knowledge, so they find themselves offended (this applies to all sides politically).
Nevertheless, it’s up to good communicators to explain why their actions or rhetoric is dangerous. For everyone else, we should simply block and move on.
“A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.” Proverbs 15:1-2 (NKJV)
With all this said, just know you’ll eventually find me on (some of) these platforms.
I know, I know.
I made it sound like I swore off these platforms; believe me, I’d love to. But, in 2019, I learned that social media is needed to succeed online. Fortunately, it’s not all toxic; there are communities with kind and good people.
I aim to attract the best and deflect the rest.
So, wish me luck!