TIME TO BAIL

I’ve been researching social media for some time, comparing its benefits to any downsides. For many years, benefits seemed to outweigh the negative, yet in the past year alone, or especially since President Trump was reelected, hatred has run amok. Some have totally lost it.

I’ve had obscene messages and disgusting photos mysteriously slip through Facebook. Some of this was from a Chevrolet truck site I joined. Turned out this “group” was run by someone in another country and not from the USA. That’s now quite common. My wife encountered the same.

After vetting our groups, we had to delete several such sites. Someone from China even tried to hack my account several times. They were unsuccessful because of my having a strong password. At this age, it’s not worth the hassle.

While social media once offered numerous benefits, such as connecting with friends and sharing information, it now comes with significant downsides. One major drawback is the potential for privacy breaches. For example, users often unknowingly share personal information that others can access or misuse, leading to identity theft or unwanted solicitation.

Another downside is the impact on mental health. Studies have shown that excessive use of social media can contribute to feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness, especially among teenagers. The constant comparison to others’ seemingly perfect lives can lower self-esteem and foster dissatisfaction.

Social media accounts can also facilitate the spread of misinformation. I see this all the time. False news stories or misleading content can be rapidly shared and believed by large audiences, causing confusion and sometimes even harm.

I’ve done this myself in political arenas, but only as a joke. My humor here dealt with candidates from both parties. Unfortunately, on a few occasions, a couple of friends couldn’t discern fiction from reality.

Additionally, social media can be addictive, consuming valuable time and reducing productivity. Many users find themselves spending hours scrolling through feeds, which can interfere with work, study, and personal relationships.

Some people report neglecting important tasks or missing family interactions because they’re engrossed in online activity. I see it all the time in restaurants where multiple people at a table are glued to their devices. Thankfully, I’ve never had that problem.

Finally, cyberbullying is a serious issue on social media platforms for young people. Individuals can be subjected to harassment, threats, or public shaming. These negative interactions can have lasting emotional effects and, in extreme cases, lead to tragic outcomes.

While social media accounts can enhance communication and access to information, they also present risks related to privacy, mental health, misinformation, addiction, and online harassment. Users should be mindful of these downsides and take steps to protect themselves and their well-being.

Over the past three years, I’ve been selectively eliminating my social media information, especially pictures, although this data has been limited from the start. Never wanting my exact residence known, I have used Latouche Island for close to 20 years. My family and friends know where I’m at.

With cyber invasion now a big deal, and identity theft, gut feeling tells me to abandon ship, bail out, or better yet, get off this merry-go-round. I’ll still be quietly monitoring other friends’ posts weekly, but I won’t be reacting or submitting anything myself. I presently have other aspirations, namely, in the YouTube arena.

My excursions and adventures while hiking, biking, or off-roading will continue to be viewable on http://www.michael-hankins.com. By not posting on fb, I’ll not replicate things as I have for ages. Time management is now more important than ever.

Many of my fb friends have wisely ceased posting for years, and it seems to work for them. That’s better than just shutting down an account cold turkey. The reason for even mentioning this is so that my disappearance isn’t rumored to be a death or serious illness, as I’ve seen happen with other longtime fb users.

Perhaps, the worst thing that could occur is for someone to steal my personal identity and then sue me down the road, after finding out they ended up with a warped sense of humor. For those actually believing this final statement, today is April Fools’ Day, and I couldn’t resist. Everything else here is true!