A number of friends have chosen to leave Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms recently. Some because they don’t like the political stances these platforms take. Some because they don’t like having their information sold or having themselves marketed. A few are retreating from social media until after the U.S. election out of frustration with the non-stop electioneering of their friends.
Of course they still want to keep in touch and there are numerous solutions for doing that. Some people keep blogs. (That’s my primary motivation for writing this blog, keeping in touch with people.) Some set up newsletters for their families and friends, which is an intriguing way of doing this. Lots of people have resorted to email and email lists. (Though if you are doing this and privacy is your goal, the best option is to own your own domain name and hang email addresses from it.)
One new social media platform has opened up that does not sell information or advertising: MeWe.com. Since a few of my friends joined MeWe, I also joined and have found it interesting and relatively easy to use. Here is how they describe their company:
MeWe is the rapidly growing high integrity social network with all the social features people love along with no ads, no targeting, and no newsfeed manipulation. MeWe members own their data and are customers to serve and delight, and their data is #Not4Sale to advertisers, marketers, or politicians. Built on principles of trust, control and love, MeWe protects its members with the industry’s first Privacy Bill Of Rights.
MeWe.com
I don’t plan to leave Facebook or Twitter or Instagram or stop writing this blog. But if you’re looking for a safer, more private experience for yourself, I recommend MeWe. If you are looking for me there, you can find me at https://mewe.com/i/carolynstein. But, if you just want to keep up with what I’m doing on a daily basis, this blog is the best option. I update it more frequently than any social media site.
Let me know if you have a favorite social media site that I haven’t mentioned.
Be safe and be well, friends!
I came off of most social media because it’s designed to be addicting (they don’t make money unless you are spending hours on it). Plus, it’s overall been very negative, which has a big impact on my writing.
I have tried MeWe. Not all it’s cracked up to be. I wound up with guys treating it like a dating service and a group I joined had full nudity on it and no warning about that.
Hi! Good to see you again. My experience with guys on the make on social media is that they are everywhere. No platform is safe from it.
I agree with you about too much time on social media. What has worked for me is to write with friends in our own Slack clubhouse. We stay on task and I still get a little socializing, which I need for the sake of my sanity. I check social media at night and in the morning.