Bizlife Smarts

Delete social media?! Let’s get it straight: Deactivating social media and deleting social media are two very different things! A couple of challenging social media experiences made me want to delete some social media; until however, I looked into the impact that it would have on my life. At the same time, I happened to come across the Hootsuite ‘We are Social’ report, that gave me a wake up call. https://wearesocial.com/global-digital-report-2019

Insults and people catching feelings on Twitter, the vacuousness and narcissism of instagram, and being judged simply by the number of your followers; all make you second guess whether social media is worthwhile.

The real picture

A couple of excerpts from the Hootsuite report were eye openers for me.

‘The changing face of media’, ‘the rise of digital media’ and such like, are mantras with which we are bombarded in marketing and communications. This is based on the view that, today, social media is king. But let’s look at some real numbers.

Social media is dominant if you live in the Middle East, South East Asia, China, Northern Europe or North America. However, for Eastern Europe, India, Africa and even Germany, this is questionable, because less than half of that world is on social media!

Even the everyday talk you hear regarding social media platforms is misleading. Despite the false narrative on certain fora, Facebook(FB) is not a has-been. Instead, 65.2% of all social media users are on FB and it has 29.6% penetration of the world’s population. In comparison, the other conventional social networks like Snapchat, Twitter and LinkedIn are niche platforms. Instagram has broader penetration, but is still superseded by the messaging platforms like WhatsApp and WeChat.

Which shoe fits…if any?

So, which social platform fits your needs? I view them as follows:

You should ask yourself, can you survive without any of these platforms? I’m sure the teenager will hold their breath until you give them back their Snapchat. Would you tell your grandmother who lives on the other coast that you can’t Skype with her, out of priniciple? Would you be the only one, out of all your friends and family, neither on WhatsApp or FB?

We must be realistic. What demographic and lifestyle you belong to, determines how well you can survive without social media. The wealthy wheat farmer in Kenya probably doesn’t need social media. However, the apprentice factory worker in Taiwan will have a very tough existence without social media.

Which platforms have you caged in?

I won’t sugar-coat it. The social media platforms that are grounded on 👀, 😡or 😨 are neither good for the soul, nor for the faint of heart. These platforms are not for those looking for depth in their interactions. They are neither grounded in reality, nor deliver functional benefits in your life.

Which platforms will set you free?

So, after much thought, digesting all available research and putting my emotions and sensitivity aside, I came to the following conclusion. You cannot live in the modern world without being on at least one of the following 3 platforms.

Facebook: Not only does the platform have the greatest penetration and continue to grow, but it also connects us to so many other online platforms. It’s not only that Facebook also owns platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram, but many people sign into their online memberships via Facebook. If you delete FB, you have to regenerate your sign-in credentials or membership for anything you’ve signed up for using your FB account. I’ve been tough on FB in the past, but if they fix their data privacy issues, they are a keeper.

WhatsApp: There’s really not much to discuss here. The functionality, universality, convenience and connections that it builds, make it a definite keeper. Let’s hope they don’t start making any user-unfriendly changes to the platform. Their privacy, muting, blocking and “lefting” features make it almost risk-free. However, stick to groups that uphold the WhatsApp golden rules. https://medium.com/en-los-espejos-de-un-cafe/a-proposal-of-basic-conduct-behavior-rules-for-whatsapp-groups-ef241d7f54f6 This will preserve your sanity and the benefits of WhatsApp to you.

Skype: Skype is like the adult in the room for social media messaging. It’s opt-in functionality means that participation and engagement are 100% by consent, every time you use it. So far, I don’t see any other platform that delivers the professionalism for face to face conversations. Unfortunately, Microsoft making the changes to integrate it into their main platform may spell the beginning of the end for Skype. It has become too user-unfriendly with many alternative options coming on the scene. https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/09/28/microsoft_skype_classic_shutdown/

The verdict

So yes, delete social media that is toxic and superficial from your life. There is however functionality in the platforms above, that add value to your life. As the world becomes more digital, you will become a dinosaur if you aren’t plugged in now, to some degree. Just engage on those platforms that serve your convenience, deliver efficiency and build your spirit and your soul.

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