Social networking has become such a prevalent theme in our lives, that it now takes up over 50% of our daily online media time! Many of are guilty of using these accounts so blindly, we fail to think about the obvious consequences and side-effects. Even as you read this, chances are you have at least one of your social media tabs open on your desktop, or running on your smart phone! So before you get the urge to head on over to them, take a quick look at these reasons as to why you might want to disable one or more of your social media platforms.
Let’s start with the largest networking service in the world. Facebook has given us a fantastic way to communicate with friends and family that we may have otherwise lost touch with. But what started off as an interactive address book, soon became a consumer driven tool, full of risks and consequences. There have been a number of issues associated with the site from hackers and privacy scares, to ruined relationships and general Facebook addiction. This is why we should all stop to think about how we use Facebook and whether or not it is good for us in the long run.
It might be time to deactivate Facebook if:
- You find yourself checking it every five minutes – you’ll be amazed at how much more you can get done when you don’t have the distraction. Plus, it will help you get more in touch with the real world!
- It is affecting your work – we might think a quick glance at your newsfeed won’t do any harm, but what if that’s the one time your boss catches you?
- You don’t want your information to be seen or stolen by people you do or don’t know – Facebook is the most commonly hacked site in the world, with 66% of users reporting that their account has been hacked one time or other.
- It is affecting your real-life relationships – whether you’re stalking your partner obsessively or airing your dirty laundry, it might be time to click the ‘delete’ button.
- You don’t want your personal information to be accessed – there has recently been huge demand for personal data being requested by governments.
- You’re obsessing over the ‘read’ stamp in messenger – if it gives you anxiety when you know they’ve read your message but haven’t replied, it might be time to switch to texting.
Twitter is brilliant for staying up to date with the latest news, gossip and friend updates, but with only 140 characters per tweet, it’s not the greatest tool for expressing yourself.
It might be time to deactivate Twitter if:
- It is affecting your daily life – If you have gotten to the point in your life where you need to tweet every single detail of your life, you might want to take a short break. Try to find activities where you won’t have time to tweet – you’ll see your happiness improve.
- You want to avoid spoilers on a regular basis – There is nothing more annoying than some random tweeter revealing the twist ending to that new film you wanted to see.
- It is affecting your sleep – If you’re scrolling through your timeline way into the midnight hours, you might want to deactivate it for a while. Sleep is important for good health.
- You’re worried about privacy – Even if your account is ‘locked’, others can still see when people reply or retweet you. Nothing is completely secure.
- It may affect your career – If you’re interviewing for a new job or you’re after a promotion, some employers may look at your social accounts like Twitter so see if you’re going to be dedicated and professional.
Instagram is a live-saver for your not-so-pretty photos and its a wonderful way of sharing moments of your life in visuals. But uploading so many personal images on to the web can be very dangerous!
It might be time to delete Instagram if:
- You don’t want your photos to be used by other media sites – once you upload a photo to Instagram, it belongs to the web. This means that other people can take it without you having very much say.
- The majority of your pics are selfies – no matter how many slightly different angles you tilt your head, you are never going to more interesting than if you post pictures of things that matter to you and inspire you. Selfies are fine if you’re out doing something unusual or you want to show off your new lipstick, but no one needs to see a mirror image of your bathroom quite so much!
SnapChat
SnapChat is a good way to share your captured moments as they happen (unlike Instagram where photos are generally filtered and curated). But like all other social media platforms, SnapChat has some major flaws!
It might be time to delete SnapChat if:
- You’ve accidentally sent a snap to the wrong person on more than one occasion – This could end up very embarrassing for everyone involved.
- You are posting images you wish to remain private – While you may believe you are posting discreetly, SnapChat states that they collect very piece of information you choose to share with them. This is why SnapChat is best for people who are posting casual, non-personal photos.
- You are not willing to risk its many security flaws – SnapChat has been hijacked by spammers on more than one occasion, causing many users to stumble across suspicious spam accounts.
- You’re sick of nudes – SnapChat has a reputation for being “Instagram for the genitals”.
