social media
… 
are potentially useful.
Most of the “social” part – emoticons and all – may be a serious waste of our time, and are for the most part designed to be exactly that. However, with a selection of news, business, and more trustworthy sources on our lists, and well-working filters – software-based and mentally – to keep out most “ads”, “hypes” and “fake news”, we may at times get something useful out of some of these social media channels the internet flows over with.
Many do of course need their daily doses of social chatter, especially now that fear of COVID-19 has introduced restrictions to real social contact in so many societies around the world. Funny and/or nice social media posts may do wonders for the mental conditions of lonely souls. Smiles and laughter are good for us all, even if no-one is around except on those screens.
Social media users do otherwise come in all shapes and sizes.
Some are totally addicted to social media … many to such a degree that one may question their state of mind.
Some collect “friends” on social media as if their very lives depended on having the highest possible number of such
internet connections, and others again belong to the “selfie” cultures and do not seem to be able to stop
taking and sharing new selfies in order to collect more and more likes.
As long as people do not let those screens take totally over for real-life social contact, they may do as they please as far as I'm concerned. I am a little bit concerned about the overall health of those social (and other) media though.
engaging? maybe, maybe not…
Having and/or acquiring views on this and that, does not mean one has to engage in discussions about or share any of it on
social media. Observing, and building opinions about what matters to you, and then pass on most or all of it as if it was
not even there, is perfectly acceptable behavior on social media and the web as a whole.
Not that everyone agrees with the above or play by the same rules. Some simply cannot stem their urge to stir
the pot and provoke reactions, and will keep on poking others to get what they're after – attention. Such people
can be quite irritating, but only become problems for those who choose to take verbal attacks personal, and react to trolling by responding.
If there ever was a way to waste time…
“Opinions” are like those bodyparts most civilized people prefer not to mention by name: we all have them. There are more “personal opinions” than users on social media, as most present one set of opinions in the public sphere, and reserve another set of opinions, and language to go with them, for when they feel they are protected by a mimimum degree of privacy on-line. That no degree of privacy exists anywhere on the internet, is a simple fact that seems to have been lost on too many social media users. Some clearly need a refresh in civilized communication, and to (re)learn that outbursts of improper language do not make people take one's statements more serious – rather the opposite.
Additionally, most have a set of opinions they won't share with anyone on or off line, and often may not even formulate in honest and meaningful terms to themselves for fear of what they'll end up with. Maybe a good thing remote mindreading isn't a reality yet. We all have something we do not want to share with others, and at least for now we have that option.
Whether I personally like, dislike, am indifferent, or simply choose to ignore whatever that pops up on social media or elsewhere, is really nobody's business but mine. I may or may not share my personal reactions with others, and feel no obligations or particular urges either way.
presence not important
Presence on sosial media is not something I prioritize. No plans or purposes for being there … more like
a kind of sideshow, as I nevertheless have to stay connected to the very same internet we all use
for just about everything these days.
Having the latest technology and solutions within easy reach when needed, does it for me.
A lifetime with access to, and user of, what has been at the very edge of communication solutions at any
given time since decades before the world wide web became a reality, have taught me that it makes no sense to become dependent on
any of it.
Before we know it something else, better or worse than what we had, will be presented on the market and call for our
attention. And the rat-race continues…
That I leave my smartphones, tablets and other portable devices turned off for weeks, may say something
about my (lack of) interest in artificial distractions and being easy to reach 24/7.
The growing availability of IoT
solutions is also of pretty limited interess, as only a selected few units/functions can be made secure enough
to meet my demands, and even fewer provide anything of value that can not be made to work better with strictly local solutions
of my own design.
E-mails, old-fasion phonecalls and snail-mails, are much preferred over message-services, and devices with
“proper” (reasonable large high-resolution) screens are preferred for on-line
surfing/reading. I also see no need to waste time on watching long videos showing nothing but talking heads, when it is clear
that a few lines of text would have sufficed to get the message through.
Social media provide convenient channels for staying in touch with distant friends, people I share
interests with, and business connections, and some pieces of info, news, slander and views get picked up and/or are
searched for along the way to these points of contact.
Yes, most is a serious waste of time, but on rare occasions something of value shows up on my screens and makes me glad
I did not skip on on-line screen-time this time.
So, all in all I do find social networks potentially useful … when I can find time.
sincerely 
Hageland 28.oct.2020
last rev: 05.nov.2020