I’m 18 and I feel like my lack of social media made me this lonely. I know that in school people asked for eachothers, had group chats and remained in contact and I was the outsider

I made a grave mistake, I think

27 comments

  2. No. Most social media is full of people who put up a facade to make themselves more likable. It’s really mediocre. If you are lonely, there are many ways to make friends. Just get out there.

  3. I don’t think this question has really been fully/properly studied and answered yet.

    My guess is it’s not simple. I’d say maybe it’s beneficial to have an account on whichever app is popular with your peers, but then you would have to make a point of not using it too often because addiction to social media is where people go wrong I think.

  4. Nope. It really doesn’t mean anything. Haven’t made a single meaningful friend through social media. Just a way to see what other people are up to.

  5. You dont need stuff like Instagram and TikTok, its more for consuming content and less for actually talking to people.

    You should definitely get Snapchat though, its the most common method of communication for young people (at least for me as a college student), it lets you keep up with friends really easily, and it will be easier to plan for hanging out and activities if you are in a group chat.

  6. A lot of people think I’m weird since I don’t have instagram,Snapchat and TikTok

  7. It can be beneficial. Allowing you to keep in touch with friends, make new friends, and even network professionally. I don’t think it’s too late to get on social media and infiltrate yourself in those spaces and group chats with your peers.

    But please know that too much of anything, especially social media, is a very bad thing. I think a lot of people, probably most people, use social media TOO much. It can be easy to cross that line between enough and too much.

    But also, you can just make friends in real life. The old-fashioned way, which I think a lot of people are losing sight of. But if you decide to use it, remember what you’re using it for and try not to get caught up in the weirdness of it all.

  8. Stay off social media with anyone you know in real life. It causes nothing but issues. Everyone has an opinion, and if someone strongly disagrees with your opinion, it WILL cause conflict.

    I’ve personally been fired from a job because of Facebook. I’ve lost friends because of Facebook. I’ve gotten into multiple stupid petty fights with family because of Facebook.

    Please stay off it if you can. It’s not good for your mental health, and you will be much better off without it.

  9. If you do then just be aware of what you post on social media for others to see. I mostly have it because of work so I normally post pet pics, happy life moments, feel good experiences like volunteering, etc. Nothing political, religious, controversial, or word vomit sharing too much. Also, it’s good to be aware that a lot of others do that too so you don’t get down on others having “great lives” if you’re ever feeling down

  10. It’s okay if you want to stay away from social media but just remember that this could also stop you from getting oportunities to socialize , like getting the IG of someone you like or you are interested in keep talking to.

    My advice: just have a basic profile and use it however you feel like, also it will allow you to keep in touch with the people you care.

    ​

    You are not forced to follow 1000 accounts or doing stories everyday.

  12. Rather than give you the garbage answer that people on Reddit like to give, I’ll give you a more realistic answer. People your generation use the internet to communicate. It’s how they keep themselves in the loop and make jokes, share memes, and communicate. You don’t need to have any of this but you have to be actively aware that you’ll be missing out on some of the main methods of communications between younger people then there’s some things that you’ll be entirely clueless on.

  13. Me too I think I made the mistake of not having an Instagram. I didn’t have a phone when people were starting to switch from Facebook to Instagram though and couldn’t access Instagram without the app. I feel like it would’ve helped me keep in touch with a lot of people from my childhood.

  14. Imo i feel like if you have social media they only snap/text because they are bored and just wanna consume time. Not because they like you as a person. If they truly like you they will have your phone number and call you or text. But maybe thats me though.

  15. You are missing media content and jokes. You are also not tied to a phone. Good for you.

    Because media is so huge, we can hardly see the same stuff anyway.

    I am 51, and spend 24 hours a week on my phone. It’s a waste. I have better things to do.

    You can do whatever you want. Don’t worry about it. I know many people who skip social media.

  16. As an older guy I feel that social media has it pros and cons. It needs to be balanced. Not so involved that we miss out on actual social interaction but also not so little that we are unable to keep up with what has become very busy lives.

  17. Ok social media sucks and highschool really really sucks. Really superficial and competitive. But yeah your right social media is essential to connecting especially from 18 to 35 even at college and work.

    If you don’t want to share your whole life on the internet (don’t suggest over sharing) start with your interest and morals see if you can find someone to connect with.

    And if you don’t like that try talking to people 30 plus in real life. The generation gap is a little jaring but you don’t know someone older could offer a lot of advice. On hobbies experiences and future dreams.

  18. I met all my important friends after I turned 18. Everyone I though was a friend in HS were terrible people.

    Friendships require proximity, connection, and maintenance interactions. In your later teens and early/mid twenties, relationships are built on shared experiences, rather than shared values or goals. And for your age group, being on a specific social media platform is part of proximity. But when you meet other people your age, most of their communication is likely done on social media.

    So you should get at least one social media account, and make a profile. Just sign up for an account somewhere now. Go in instagram. Add a picture or two. Start following accounts. Some People will follow you back. You don’t have to ever post anything. No one cares what you do as long as you have a basic account. they just want you to like their posts, maybe join a conversation. 🙂 .

  19. It’s good for your mental health, and if they want to have you in their life they will find a way to respect your life choices and adapt

  20. Yes. It is bad and to say otherwise is wrong. Not sarcasm. Memes and everything else aside, *you’re losing an important and major means of communication.* Having no social media puts you at a definite disadvantage.

  21. My daughter is 13 and doesn’t have social media. She has tons of friends and activities and outings and all the other fulfilling activities that young adults are supposed to have, without the behind the scenes drama that comes from social media. I don’t think it’s lack of social media holding you back.

  23. As someone who was like you guys not having socials when I was younger,

    then joining socials and building a huge following on social platforms after learning the algorithms,

    then quitting them again,

    it’s not worth it.

    (A lot of ppl are fake to grow fast and growing authentically takes a long time; you have to enjoy it and be jealous-proof)

    If you’re doing it with a business idea and enjoy content creation yeah, but using socials just to consume content can cause depression.

    Your overall happiness will be higher without social media. There’s a reason people in poor countries are happier with less, compared to people in developed countries.

  24. No, in my opinion you dont need It at all. You can keep on touch with people by Telegram/WhatsApp, so not necesary. The people uses It to brag basically. However if your social circle uses It as a message platform, then maybe it’s worth creating an account.

    And all that thing about keeping in touch with people you met in the past, to be honest, prevents you from moving on with your life and meeting new people, because you stay on your comfort zone.

    However, It has its advantages like, if you meet someone new, and give that person your Instagram, if you have “worked” on your profile, you can give that person a good image about you that Will make things easier when making new relationships. But that’s that.

  25. Honestly social media is like a virus for your mind it’s really not good for your mental health and the algorithms create a political echo tunnel too. I deleted all my social media like FB and Instagram because of the drama it’s been causing between real life friends over left and right BS. Also the fakeness of social media from people just trying to make their life look amazing when life really isn’t. Then you have the filters and advertising. You feel shit because you don’t look as good as some filtered person and then Facebook will advise weight loss and cosmetic surgery.

    Honestly you’re doing yourself a massive favour not having social media. It’s literally mind cancer/virus.
    There’s more negative than good that comes from it.

  26. I used to have 800 “friends” in Facebook and every year some would randomly post “HB” in my wall (is supposed to mean happy birthday, by the way.) I deleted my social media and never looked back. Its all fake.

    Try joining a club after school like sports, a book club, cooking, dancing etc anything you want and then you will make real friends. Have fun!

  27. Avoid it like the plague, social media is the cause for so many mental issues nowadays and it would do you good to avoid it.

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