A life without social media
Quitting social media wasn't difficult at all, because it bores me to tears. I felt ridiculous posting random messages about anything and everything, no matter how trivial. Controversies made me uncomfortable because I often couldn't even interpret other people's responses—whether they were aggressive, condescending, or just plain normal.
I couldn't care less about other people's news: their trips, their toes in the sand, the food at a Michelin-starred restaurant... All of that left me indifferent on social media. On the other hand, when I talk to someone face-to-face, I'm enthusiastic about good news and I suffer with bad news. I like to look people in the eye, give hugs, laugh, take their arm when I laugh too hard... Things I can't do online, on Instagram, or anywhere else in the virtual world.
As for how quickly I get information, I've reached a point where I just don't care anymore. I'm much more interested in being well-informed, paying for subscriptions to media outlets that make me think, and carefully digesting what's happening in the world.
It's a common saying that one of the positive aspects of social media is the possibility of contacting people from our past, people we haven't heard from in a long time. That's fine, true. But I'm not willing to pay such a high price as my time in front of a screen. Honestly, I'd rather go for a walk with the dogs and let them have a bit of a social life than spend time in a dog park.
There are people who, when they find out I don't have social media, bombard me with questions. It's like they're pressuring me. The same thing happens when I say I don't drink. So it's not hard to deduce that people with certain vices have a problem if others don't. I don't ask anyone why they have social media, basically because I'm not the least bit interested in knowing. But sometimes, it's difficult to find reciprocity in indifference. Leaving others alone is no guarantee they'll leave you alone.
That's why a good way out is to be unpleasant and earn a reputation for being a long-suffering woman, which I wear with pride. Being seen that way by others is one of the most effective protection mechanisms one can have. Besides, deep down, I know we're charming and don't need anyone to notice.