How I use social media
I have this meh relationship with social media. I dislike what it does to people — the human brain, attention span, all of it. I forsook it for some years. Deleted everything.
Slowly I got back at it. And finally I found a balance to the point I don't even remember I have it, I don't check it, I sometimes forget to check messages on Beeper. Most digital social interactions happen on WhatsApp and Telegram (some meaningful ones via email).
I see some value in keeping them until I have a better alternative. Telegram seems like a great one if more people used it. Some close friends and family do. Some mentors too. Some communities. It's nice.
The platforms
- Accept anyone; if spammy, remove.
- Use on my main computer, which sometimes becomes a time sink. Might reconsider, remove the feed, or even better — delegate my LinkedIn to someone else based on what I post on my sites. Like Sivers does with his socials.
- Post stuff for Timeless Relic and personal work things.
- Accept/follow only people I know in person.
- Use through a browser on a secondary computer when I want to share something or repost a story I've been tagged in (Beeper and the Instagram API don't allow this).
- Messages through Beeper.
- Beeper lets me watch reels that friends send me directly, which is great. I can react to content that was human-distilled. Today I laughed hard at a reel a friend sent me that reminded me of a crazy memory from my adolescent years.
X
- Random posting. In my industry it's widely used and maybe I'm missing opportunities there. For now I have JOMO (Joy Of Missing Out) instead of FOMO.
- Use through a browser on a secondary computer.
- Messages through Beeper.
- Accept/follow only people I know in person.
- Use through a browser on a secondary computer.
- Only use the Marketplace.
- Messages through Beeper.
- Give my number only to people I meet in person.
- Post stories to push them to Instagram and Facebook.
- Use it on my phone — I've considered uninstalling it and using only Beeper on the computer.
- Reply in batches, roughly twice a day.
YouTube
- I consume long-form videos here, usually on a TV, rarely on a laptop (except for work).
- Shorts only if sent by someone. When I had it installed on my phone I succumbed to it mindlessly for hours. iPhone lets you uninstall it, which is nice.
- I post some random stuff there, mostly for myself.
Telegram
- I use it daily.
- Have it on my phone.
- Reply multiple times a day, reactively as messages arrive.
- Might switch to batches like WhatsApp if more people start using it.
A few things worth knowing
For now that's it. I somehow get people following me on Instagram — some I know, some I don't, and the ones I don't, I don't follow back. I check this maybe once a fortnight or once a month. Don't take it personally.
I don't consume content people post there on a regular basis, so I know nothing about your life. Unless you tag me or send me a direct message, or I accidentally stumble on it in the once-a-month I go there. If you do send me something via DM or tag me, I will eventually see it and most likely comment and give you my opinion. I care about human-pushed content. If you take the time to send it to me, I will do my best to watch it and give proper feedback.
Even better — show me in person if you're with me ♥
I sometimes consume WhatsApp stories (people from Paraguay love to share there — in Portugal I feel like it's only me and some LATAM friends who do). I've been called out as a boomer/desperate for posting WhatsApp stories. I do it because I can cross-post to Instagram without installing it. And for my Paraguayan/Brazilian friends ♥
I regularly consume Telegram stories. Since only premium users can post, they're usually good quality or from very close friends.
My phone is almost always on do not disturb. Less than a dozen people can get through, and they're respectful — they only call when needed.
I reply to all messages, usually in batches (e.g. around 12:00 and again at 19:00). If I didn't reply, I'm either waiting on some information, or I need more time to give your message the attention it deserves, or I got distracted by life and accidentally left it on read. It happens — sorry. Feel free to send another one. If you're being too much I'll tell you directly.
I consume some content via RSS. If you have a curated feed of your life, share it with me. If you don't know what RSS is — it's a nerdy thing that lets you share stuff with other nerds on the internet.
My ideal setup is a funnel like Derek Sivers has: post on my website (or even Telegram), and have everything flow out to all other platforms.
Finally — I do participate in another form of social media: online forums. They're the best. If you want to know more, ask me.
What should you do next?
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