Social media.
Mar. 8th, 2021 02:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rogueslayer452Taken from the Crunchy Questions Meme:
Social media platforms come and go, what is a social media website that you didn't think would last as long as it did? What is one that you're surprised ended quickly as it did? Is there a social media platform that you refuse to use no matter how popular it is?
I would say Facebook is a place I'm surprised lasted as long as it has, though not really because the entire purpose was to reconnect with friends and family. I think I'm more or less surprised due to the lack of popularity it has these days. I remember it was marketed towards a lot of young adults, especially those entering into college, to stay connected with friends and family after high school, and it was viewed as a mature upgrade from MySpace. Even actors and celebrities were using it for keeping people updated on future projects and whatnot. Nowadays, though, it's mostly the older generation who are using it to stay in touch, and anyone who is just having an account so their family won't yell at them for not having one or accepting friend requests.
I'll be honest, I thought that Vine was going to last longer than it did since it was heavily popular, but of course with everything happening behind the scenes it unfortunately seemed inevitable that the app would be discontinued. I never used it, but I watched compilations on YouTube and there is no denying that there was so truly hilarious and creative content produced there. I know that TikTok has become kind of the replacement for that in a sense, trying to recreate the atmosphere that Vine had but honestly it just doesn't have the same vibe.
I will never join Twitter, that place seems like a massive hellhole, filled with reactionary culture and people just yelling at one another into a void and it's just drama, drama everywhere, and I just don't have the patience for that nonsense. No thank you. It wasn't appealing to me years ago, and it's definitely not appealing to me now.
(In general, I'm not really huge on social media. I only have LJ -- with DW as a backup -- and Tumblr, that's it. I know that may make me seem archaic in this modern age of technology where everyone has a Twitter account or something like that, but I don't like the notion of having to sign up to every single social media platform just to keep in touch with people or just because it's considered more popular. Also a lot of social media sites require you to use your real name or give out personal information, which I'm not comfortable with.)
Social media platforms come and go, what is a social media website that you didn't think would last as long as it did? What is one that you're surprised ended quickly as it did? Is there a social media platform that you refuse to use no matter how popular it is?
I would say Facebook is a place I'm surprised lasted as long as it has, though not really because the entire purpose was to reconnect with friends and family. I think I'm more or less surprised due to the lack of popularity it has these days. I remember it was marketed towards a lot of young adults, especially those entering into college, to stay connected with friends and family after high school, and it was viewed as a mature upgrade from MySpace. Even actors and celebrities were using it for keeping people updated on future projects and whatnot. Nowadays, though, it's mostly the older generation who are using it to stay in touch, and anyone who is just having an account so their family won't yell at them for not having one or accepting friend requests.
I'll be honest, I thought that Vine was going to last longer than it did since it was heavily popular, but of course with everything happening behind the scenes it unfortunately seemed inevitable that the app would be discontinued. I never used it, but I watched compilations on YouTube and there is no denying that there was so truly hilarious and creative content produced there. I know that TikTok has become kind of the replacement for that in a sense, trying to recreate the atmosphere that Vine had but honestly it just doesn't have the same vibe.
I will never join Twitter, that place seems like a massive hellhole, filled with reactionary culture and people just yelling at one another into a void and it's just drama, drama everywhere, and I just don't have the patience for that nonsense. No thank you. It wasn't appealing to me years ago, and it's definitely not appealing to me now.
(In general, I'm not really huge on social media. I only have LJ -- with DW as a backup -- and Tumblr, that's it. I know that may make me seem archaic in this modern age of technology where everyone has a Twitter account or something like that, but I don't like the notion of having to sign up to every single social media platform just to keep in touch with people or just because it's considered more popular. Also a lot of social media sites require you to use your real name or give out personal information, which I'm not comfortable with.)
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Date: 2021-03-10 01:47 am (UTC)Yeah. I mean, I do watch some people on YouTube that never show their face or distort their voices in their videos because of this reason, but not everyone is comfortable with that.
Good point. I've also seen where it's a combination. Not sure what their reasons were, but I imagine something close to ours.
Out of curiosity, have you seen The Take? A tad OT but also an interesting example where the women show their faces, but only at the beginning, and speak in an incredibly formulaic way. It's actually a bit distracting, as much as I usually like it, although sometimes I find their "takes" a little reaching. In any case, they talk like news hosts, but they don't seem to be? Maybe they prefer sounding professional.
And just like you, I'm more comfortable with writing to express myself, but I've noticed that, unfortunately, thanks to social media a lot of people aren't willing to pay attention to someone writing an entry that is longer than a paragraph or two, if that, which honestly? Sucks.
It does! Though it is interesting, and you may have pointed it out yourself actually, that sometimes long social media posts — no pictures or video, just text — DO go viral. Not sure what the difference is. It does suck that so much of the time, though, you're expected to keep things to a bare minimum.
I understand being private. I'm similar, although in my case it's a bit being a private person, yet also what you said about being taught about not giving too much revealing information. Ironically I used to reveal more in terms of my real life, without giving away my own identity, because people who didn't know me still wouldn't know what I was talking about. So I could talk about work and not feel like I was revealing things I shouldn't be. Whereas now, everyone's online and it's a smaller world, so I feel less safe. Even back then, I remember realizing people online knew people I know IRL, and these were shot in the dark happenstances. It just made me warier and warier of revealing anything that could potentially get back to someone I wouldn't want reading/knowing what I had said. So now I call my workplace Fight Club and give everyone IRL nicknames, even though if you knew who they were, you'd still probably know who they were. But I try my best.
. And yet people think that if you don't reveal everything about yourself, including details you wouldn't tell a stranger on the street, then somehow you're being dishonest and lying and being deceitful and that's just so....backwards to me.
Yeah, I don't understand that one at all. It makes no sense to me. "This is a fake Facebook account" maybe the person just doesn't want their real name for all to see? I have a Facebook account for exactly that purpose, separate from my "real" account.
no subject
Date: 2021-03-10 09:54 pm (UTC)that sometimes long social media posts — no pictures or video, just text — DO go viral. Not sure what the difference is.
It's odd, to be honest, what does or doesn't go viral these days. It's all just random at what picks up traction.
So I could talk about work and not feel like I was revealing things I shouldn't be. Whereas now, everyone's online and it's a smaller world, so I feel less safe.
Yeah, exactly, and people online are more comfortable with playing "Internet detective" that they can literally piece together things just from minimal information that is out there. It's unsettling. I mean, I know I also kind of revealed a little things, like you, earlier when I first joined LJ, talking about school and whatnot, without giving too much away because it seemed all very vague. Now, though, it's not worth the risk to even be vague enough for that.
no subject
Date: 2021-03-11 07:20 pm (UTC). I mean, I know I also kind of revealed a little things, like you, earlier when I first joined LJ, talking about school and whatnot, without giving too much away because it seemed all very vague. Now, though, it's not worth the risk to even be vague enough for that.
YES. Exactly.
I just realized even though I feel like I know you pretty well, I don't know that much personal about you? Which isn't a bad thing, it's just what I realized. (Not like people know much more about me. Maybe a little bit, especially as I have several friends from when I was more open.) Whereas I know people online who I barely interact with, yet I could tell you their kid's names and where they go to school. It's unsettling.