Has anyone else here completely quit social media (minus this forum, obviously)

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DhammaJosh
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Has anyone else here completely quit social media (minus this forum, obviously)

Post by DhammaJosh »

I've reached my end with social media. I only have Reddit and Instagram, but I'm finding that the platforms (and social media as a whole) is far too toxic for me. The amount of hostility I witness every day on social media is not only unnecessary, but completely unhealthy.

I'm wondering who else here has completely given up social media, and what you gained from it.

Thanks!
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retrofuturist
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Re: Has anyone else here completely quit social media (minus this forum, obviously)

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings,
DhammaJosh wrote: Thu Jul 28, 2022 3:45 am I'm wondering who else here has completely given up social media, and what you gained from it.
My social media use has transformed over the time, as I lean further from Facebook, and lean more into Twitter. I've never really used any of the other social media platforms in any meaningful or comprehensive way, beyond simply checking them out.

As with anything, it depends on how you use it and what you use it for, and my transformation of use has reflected ongoing assessment of relative pros/cons. Having "leant away" from Facebook, I see no significant benefit in having done so other than in having additional time to put elsewhere.

But there's something that might be useful to your line of enquiry. Dhamma Wheel used to have both a Lounge and a News and Current Affairs section, but we decommissioned those because some people were becoming more acrimonious towards other members based on their political views. Ironically, that wasn't such a big deal when we started the forum in 2009, but by 2015/6 or so it became apparent that it was causing disruption to the intent of having a Theravada forum in the first place. It seems the disconnect started with the rise of the Social Justice Warrior and Black Lives Matter movements in the US and deepened further with the election of Trump, which was a very polarizing event, depending upon your worldview. Are people less acrimonious towards each other since we did that? Maybe. Maybe it's just removing the number of things people can be acrimonious towards one another about.

So bringing that back to the level of the individual, if someone takes better control of their own environment via means of sense restraint, then they can shield themselves from giving and receiving acrimony a bit better. Does political conversation need to give rise to acrimony? I guess it depends on how genuinely tolerant you are of other perspectives. Often those who outwardly pride themselves on their tolerance are actually the least tolerant of all.

Metta,
Paul. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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Johann
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Re: Has anyone else here completely quit social media (minus this forum, obviously)

Post by Johann »

DhammaJosh wrote: Thu Jul 28, 2022 3:45 am I've reached my end with social media. I only have Reddit and Instagram, but I'm finding that the platforms (and social media as a whole) is far too toxic for me. The amount of hostility I witness every day on social media is not only unnecessary, but completely unhealthy.

I'm wondering who else here has completely given up social media, and what you gained from it.

Thanks!
Seeking for renouncing is part of right resolve, good householder. Nobody serious in abounding suffering and knowing the good teachings would seek for socializing outside equal or higher advanced, and would also abstain from taking what isn't given (for good purposes) or bond to be caught in debts, not to speak from sensual dangers.

Yet, as long as one has not reached the conncentration path, one is advised to stay near admirable friends, Sangha, if traced. If not, one better stays alone.

Common social medias are nothing but enemies of good prosperty and simply work for the sake of destroying health relations by going in between.

Sure seldom to find given areas, even given for liberation.
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JamesTheGiant
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Re: Has anyone else here completely quit social media (minus this forum, obviously)

Post by JamesTheGiant »

I often limit myself to one hour of internet in the evening. Using apps which lock out my devices. The effect is I suddenly have a lot more time, and read more books and do more things around home. Very beneficial.
SarathW
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Re: Has anyone else here completely quit social media (minus this forum, obviously)

Post by SarathW »

I used to browse YouTube a lot as a way of listening to Dhamma.
Now I feel that I am saturated with Dhamma study and shifted to watching unwholesome videos such as Sri Lankan politics, music, etc.
However, I do not break the basic five precepts.
It is important to note that avoiding social media is an eight preceptor vow and a lay person is expected to observe it only once a month on Uposatha days even though a lay person can observe the eighth precept all the time.

Are you an eight preceptor?
Do you observe the five precepts?
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
maniture_85
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Re: Has anyone else here completely quit social media (minus this forum, obviously)

Post by maniture_85 »

In general, consider Internet as a source of information.

I've had huge benefits from internet, both in my pre-dhamma life and in my dhamma life. We all, right now, have the chance to get much benefit from it. Without Internet, i've neven known about dhamma. Sure, i was somehow addicted like most of us, as i was addicted to many things. I had to learn how to use it, because of course it can be dangerous and all of us can see it.

Social media. In general, i think those are dangerous the very most of the time. From one side, you may fall in bad views, false views, useless chatting, dangerous fantasies, strongly increased lust, people objectification, ego explosion. Tiktok is absolutely to avoid at all costs.
In general, I think social media has to be strictly limited, unless you use them always keeping dhamma in mind ( not easy, they are constructed as traps ).
maniture_85
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Re: Has anyone else here completely quit social media (minus this forum, obviously)

Post by maniture_85 »

DhammaJosh wrote: Thu Jul 28, 2022 3:45 am I've reached my end with social media. I only have Reddit and Instagram, but I'm finding that the platforms (and social media as a whole) is far too toxic for me. The amount of hostility I witness every day on social media is not only unnecessary, but completely unhealthy.

I'm wondering who else here has completely given up social media, and what you gained from it.

Thanks!
In general, consider Internet as a source of informations.

I've had huge benefits from internet, both in my pre-dhamma life and then in my dhamma life. We all, right now, have the chance to get much benefit from it. Without Internet, i've neven known about dhamma. Sure, i was somehow addicted like most of us, as i was addicted to many things. I had to learn how to use it, because of course it can be dangerous and all of us can see it. And it continued to help me on the path, so much.

Social media. In general, i think those are dangerous the very most of the time. From one side, you may fall in bad views, false views, useless chatting, dangerous fantasies, strongly increased lust, people objectification, ego explosion. Tiktok is absolutely to avoid at all costs.
In general, I think social media has to be strictly limited, unless you use them always keeping dhamma in mind ( not easy, they are constructed as traps ).

At the end the most important voice to follow is your own.
Use them at your own discrection
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Akashad
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Re: Has anyone else here completely quit social media (minus this forum, obviously)

Post by Akashad »

Yes.Today.

I deleted all my social media accounts.

Somethings not right.

I'm glad you noticed.

Found myself noticing more and more negativity and toxicity as well as horrific news as well as more negative media.

If i try to look for a food recipe right underneath it there would be a story of children being abused or if i try to google something for uni studies there would be murder news coverage.Or if i am sleeping random notifications start popping up articles about abused animals.

?

Its really bizzare..

Very dark and even if it is light its always toxic and low vibration.

Like funny videos on how to catch your partner cheating or How to get revenge on your coworkers.

I am a samadhi meditator and It's very Draining.

Its almost like they are spoon feeding us negativity.

If Metta is immersing yourself in lovingkindness.

Social Media is immersing us in evil and acts of cruelty.

Somewhat normalising it so we are used to it.

But not just that but a DISPERSION of concentration.

Their breaking up your concentration or attention.

It's scatterred.

Then like a slave you just let them drain you.

Your minds scatterred the opposite of Samadhi or Unification of the Mind.

Its very heightened negativity.

We use to only have concentration as a problem with distractions.

But now its like Murder and abuse and hate in Media and streaming channels.

somethings not right..

Their getting the collective consciousnes into a lower frequency..their getting everyone on the same page via resonance to think on that low vibration level.Planting the seeds for an immoral and decayed society.

Anyways i decided to delete social media.

The people who really need to reach me will reach me.
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Crazy cloud
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Re: Has anyone else here completely quit social media (minus this forum, obviously)

Post by Crazy cloud »

I quit participating on social platforms but have a quick scroll through almost every day to see if something is interesting for my practice.
If you didn't care
What happened to me
And I didn't care for you

We would zig-zag our way
Through the boredom and pain
Occasionally glancing up through the rain

Wondering which of the
Buggers to blame
And watching for pigs on the wing
- Roger Waters
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Ceisiwr
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Re: Has anyone else here completely quit social media (minus this forum, obviously)

Post by Ceisiwr »

I did for just over two years. I’m back on it now. Twitter is an expedition, but I really only use that for news.
“Knowing that this body is just like foam,
understanding it has the nature of a mirage,
cutting off Māra’s flower-tipped arrows,
one should go beyond the King of Death’s sight.”
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DhammaJosh
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Re: Has anyone else here completely quit social media (minus this forum, obviously)

Post by DhammaJosh »

SarathW wrote: Thu Jul 28, 2022 9:51 am Are you an eight preceptor?
Do you observe the five precepts?
I am lay and so I observe the first five. :D
Jhana4
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Re: Has anyone else here completely quit social media (minus this forum, obviously)

Post by Jhana4 »

DhammaJosh wrote: Thu Jul 28, 2022 3:45 am I've reached my end with social media. I only have Reddit and Instagram, but I'm finding that the platforms (and social media as a whole) is far too toxic for me. The amount of hostility I witness every day on social media is not only unnecessary, but completely unhealthy.
If you use the web via a "computer" the LeechBlock browser extension is your friend.

I saw a video recently about how sales of dumb phones are up, including modern models with 1-2 more feature than old school dumb phones.

I think many people are realizing it is time suck, how it is over-stimulation, and a poor return on their time.
In reading the scriptures, there are two kinds of mistakes:
One mistake is to cling to the literal text and miss the inner principles.
The second mistake is to recognize the principles but not apply them to your own mind, so that you waste time and just make them into causes of entanglement.
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DhammaJosh
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Re: Has anyone else here completely quit social media (minus this forum, obviously)

Post by DhammaJosh »

retrofuturist wrote: Thu Jul 28, 2022 5:20 am Greetings,
DhammaJosh wrote: Thu Jul 28, 2022 3:45 am I'm wondering who else here has completely given up social media, and what you gained from it.
My social media use has transformed over the time, as I lean further from Facebook, and lean more into Twitter. I've never really used any of the other social media platforms in any meaningful or comprehensive way, beyond simply checking them out.

As with anything, it depends on how you use it and what you use it for, and my transformation of use has reflected ongoing assessment of relative pros/cons. Having "leant away" from Facebook, I see no significant benefit in having done so other than in having additional time to put elsewhere.

But there's something that might be useful to your line of enquiry. Dhamma Wheel used to have both a Lounge and a News and Current Affairs section, but we decommissioned those because some people were becoming more acrimonious towards other members based on their political views. Ironically, that wasn't such a big deal when we started the forum in 2009, but by 2015/6 or so it became apparent that it was causing disruption to the intent of having a Theravada forum in the first place. It seems the disconnect started with the rise of the Social Justice Warrior and Black Lives Matter movements in the US and deepened further with the election of Trump, which was a very polarizing event, depending upon your worldview. Are people less acrimonious towards each other since we did that? Maybe. Maybe it's just removing the number of things people can be acrimonious towards one another about.

So bringing that back to the level of the individual, if someone takes better control of their own environment via means of sense restraint, then they can shield themselves from giving and receiving acrimony a bit better. Does political conversation need to give rise to acrimony? I guess it depends on how genuinely tolerant you are of other perspectives. Often those who outwardly pride themselves on their tolerance are actually the least tolerant of all.

Metta,
Paul. :)
I'm all for exposing ourselves to different opinion, but I think the line is drawn when it comes to people's abusive behavior. To me, it doesn't matter what where one falls on a philosophical, political, or religious spectrum - I'm happy to get along with anyone so long as they are respectful. The issue I keep encountering is that people are failing to maintain a basic level of respect for others online (and increasingly in person, as well). It's made me quite the social recluse because it is emotionally exhausting being exposed to behavior like that on a frequent basis. In the US, it's easy to point two fingers and say it's both sides, but the reality is that certain groups are more prone to disrespectful behavior - primarily based on politics. I was recently physically and verbally attacked by a gentleman who, after seeing my sticker on my car which says "Compassion" in a rainbow colored font with two lotus flowers on each side. We were in a parking lot, I had just exited my car, and the man pulled up behind me in his truck, blocking my path, and exited and proceeded to get in my face and insult me, calling me a "fag" and "libtard" for having such a sticker. I didn't engage him and asked him to get back in his vehicle or else I would call the police. After about a minute of his verbal onslaught and him pushing his finger hard in my chest, he finally got in his truck again and took off. On the back of the truck was a Trump sticker. This isn't the only encounter I've had like this either - it is almost always from people of the same political ideology. I feel the rise of Trump combined with the anonymity of internet has given a lot of people a false sense of security to think that they can act in any way without consequence.

And like I said, I'm happy to get along with anyone. Literally two out of my four neighbors are conservatives and they are actually pretty decent people in person. We have dinners together and chat frequently. We exchange cuttings (plants), and help each other where we can. But again, I think it's because of proximity. When you know someone, when they are your neighbors, you're more likely to want to keep the peace and behave in a respectful way. But when it's strangers, online or in person, it's a different ballgame. Too many people feel empowered to be hostile nowadays, and it's made me very reluctant to engage with anyone.

I should also note that I have lived in several countries around the world long-term, primarily across North America, Europe, and the Middle East. And while each culture has their extremes, I have never encountered such a hostile dichotomy that I have witnessed since living in the United States.
dharmacorps
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Re: Has anyone else here completely quit social media (minus this forum, obviously)

Post by dharmacorps »

I mothballed my Facebook some years ago.

I made a rule to my myself after I had to de-friend a close person on there, where anyone on my feed that promoted violence would get deleted as a friend. Incredibly, I had to delete half my friends and family members over the span of a year or two. I couldn't believe it. I decided I needed to stay away. Something about it is just sick. I keep the account only to be able to reach far flung family in an emergency whose information I don't otherwise have. I do use twitter and there have fewer problems with it. I think I just curate it more though.
Jack19990101
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Re: Has anyone else here completely quit social media (minus this forum, obviously)

Post by Jack19990101 »

All is well once we step on N8F.
The whole shebang is caused by an innocent mistake having taken body dearly & seriously.
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