According to the latest figures, more than 65% of the world’s population have at least one social media in their names. More than half of these people have two or more social media profiles, which is an incredible increase from a few years back. There are many benefits of having at least one social media account, and such benefits far outweigh the demerits. The top social media by ranking from top to bottom today are; Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. There are dozens of other less popular social media platforms with a significant number of followers or users online today.
Is it Weird to Not Have Social Media?
Yes, it is considered weird not to have at least a social media account, especially in a world where most people are connected.
Why Do Some People Avoid The Social Media?
People avoid social media for several reasons, and most of these are personal. The primary reason why many avoid social media is because of privacy issues. Since social media is all about putting your private life out there, every information you put out becomes valuable to businesses and some individuals stalking you. Many people have quit social media after their privacies become glaring to the public. To experts, this is not a good reason to leave social media, and you have to be careful about the information you put out there.
Another reason why many quit or avoid social media is that it can become addictive and unhealthy.
The excessive use of social media will eventually set in, especially if you can’t control the urge. Many people have gone beyond the use of social media in moderation, and there are more people admitted to treatment centers because of the issue.
The earlier you start managing your social media usage habit, the more self-control you can build, hence the less addictive it becomes.
A significant reason why many avoid or withdraw from social media is because of the damage or potential damage to their self-esteem. Since many people post pictures of their achievements, travel experience, and wealth online, others feel worthless and less important.
Unless you do not fancy elegant and stylish lifestyles, you may quit social media as soon as you join them. Many people think that social media provides an endless stream of reasons to feel inadequate and jealous.
Many people feel that social media is a massive waste of time. Except you are the time who log onto your social media site and spend few minutes a day, you may end up spending several hours doing nothing productive.
According to research conducted by New Data, an average person spends a minimum of 1.72 hours a day on social media. This new study reveals that despite the hectic schedules of many, using social media several times a day has become part of our daily lives.
Some people are afraid of online abuse, so they don’t want to join social media. Some people don’t want to risk putting up information that can expose them to abuse, especially from notorious trollers. Online abuse, according to researches, is responsible for a significant number of suicides and attempted suicides, especially among teens. This perhaps is why parents often dissuade their children from using social media very early in their developmental years.
Many people avoid social media for security reasons. Celebrities and famous figures in society today do not put their personal information on social media, and the reason is to avoid being stalked, robbed, or murdered. Those bold enough to use social media among notable people will instead put information about their businesses online.
Not having enough time is another reason many people avoid social media. Certain occupations wouldn’t give you room to use social media except when you are at home. Specific organizations, including the government and the military, also ban the use of social media during working hours. For instance, military research and investigative organizations make it mandatory for staff to protect their identities on social media.
Reasons Why It Is Weird Not To Have Social Media
The reasons mentioned above are credible enough to avoid social media, but people who use social media often believe there are sinister reasons why some people avoid it.
Avoiding social media may raise suspicion about your mental wellbeing. Certain researches have indicated that people who avoid social media may be hiding something from the public. For instance, certain individuals affiliated with a gang or secret societies may avoid social media to prevent their cover from being blown open.
Not using social media will make you look like you are anti-social. When you are not on social media and people don’t get to see you with others, especially the opposite sex, it can make them suspect that you indulge in weird behavior. People believe that individuals who post fake information about themselves on social media or avoid such platforms are into crime.
Reasons Why You Should Be On The Social Media
As mentioned earlier, the benefits of being on social media far outweigh the demerits. Social media, no doubt, has improved the way we live and express ourselves. It has also brought substantial economic benefits, especially to those who explore the commercial sides of it.
Social media is a valuable tool for many things, including education, marketing, communication, and education. It is one of the most convenient places to access information and stay up-to-date with everything happening around you and far away.
The main reason why you must have social media is that it provides instant means of communication. As long as you are connected to the internet, you can have accessible instant communication with whoever is on your friends’ list.
There is no one you can’t connect with on the social media messenger. You can follow a company now and send messages to them if you need information or make a complaint. This free instant messaging feature makes social media the freest avenue to connect and communicate with people.
Another reason you should be on social media because it helps build a new relationship and strengthen older ones. Your previous school or classmates can quickly discover you online and reconnect in few seconds. Similarly, family members can create groups on social media to keep up with extended relatives, and all these are for free.
You can meet new people who share similar interests on social media. From social media, you can join educational groups and entertainment groups that organize all kinds of activities to improve the way you relate with people.
Faster information dissemination is another reason you should be on social media. Making phone calls to every individual in a company, group, or educational institution can be expensive. Still, with social media, everyone added or following such groups or institutions will receive messages simultaneously. Social media has become the quickest place where vital information that can even save lives is spread quickly.
Social media facilitate knowledge sharing. Since all social media networks are not integrated into search engines, the indexing and ranking of information provided on social media now show up quickly, which means you can find information about an unknown place or topic more quickly.
Since people always post discoveries first on social media, you can quickly access information by following influencers knowledgeable about different topics on social media.
Branding your business is almost free on social media. You can use many free features to promote your business on social media, and that is a huge plus. Social media is the place to increase your audience and followership very fast, especially if you have a business that will affect their lives positively.
There are no geographical restrictions to the use or coverage of social media, which is another huge plus. Online traditional radio, TV, and print media have limited coverage; there are no geographical limitations to the coverage offered by social media. You can always stay connected to people all around the world.
Despite the fact that many oppressive governments in the world have banned the use of social media in their countries, people are still finding means such as VPN to hide their identities and bypass all geographical restrictions.
Conclusion
It is truly weird to avoid social media, considering the numerous benefits it comes with. At the same time, you must exercise some constraints to avoid getting into terrible situations. Many people, especially teenagers and young adults, have vanished after meeting new people on social media, and relatively several bad things happen daily to people who don’t refrain from posting all their personal information on social media. Regardless of how you see it, social media has come to stay, and owners are making improvements to make social networks much safer and more user-friendly. When optimized very well, the social media can be the most effective educative and entertaining tool in history.
