[firefoxd]

The social etiquette argument has been thrown away with the bath water. You are now the weirdo with something to hide when you are not on Instagram or Tiktok.

The term I like is Social Cooling, the subtle way in which people change their behavior because they are both present in person and online. Have you ever heard some use the term "unalive" in person? It's as if they are protecting themselves from an algorithm, as if the conversation will be posted online.

[alwa]

Have you had that experience, of being taken as a weirdo? We may move in very different circles, but when I ask to be left out of social media posts I’m always met with respect and understanding, at least to my face.

If anything, in recent years, I’m met with something closer to the respect people afford recovering addicts turning down drinks: “oh man, I wish I were off of it too, good for you.”

[jjulius]

>You are now the weirdo with something to hide when you are not on Instagram or Tiktok.

You might call me a "weirdo", but this has absolutely not been my experience whatsoever. Friends, family and coworkers don't really give a shit that I don't participate in social media, and I haven't been treated any differently for it.

Edit: And hell, generally, what's life without a bit of weird? The homogeneity of everyone doing the same thing together all the time sounds boring as hell. Here's to the weirdos!

[mvdtnz]

It just be a regional thing. I don't know a single person who uses Instagram.

[standardUser]

Not even musicians, artists and the like? I have a lot of friends who use Instagram at least partly for their professional lives and hobbies.

[AlexandrB]

You're describing marketing, which seems like 90% of posts on Instagram in 2025.

[standardUser]

Sure, it's how I learn about most of the music and art-related events I go to. There's not really an equivalent platform to get that kind of info. It would have to be a mishmash of email newsletters and checking blogs, and even then some people only promote on Instagram because of it's market dominance.

[mvdtnz]

I'm talking about people who use it on a personal basis. Yes my mum sends Instagram posts to market her embroidery company. I don't care about marketing posts.

[soupfordummies]

Be the change you wanna see...

A lot of people thought non-drinkers were kinda weird a decade or so ago when drinking wine on morning TV was popular. Now half of the beer aisle is N/A offerings.

[standardUser]

No one thinks it's weird. You'll likely have a harder time making friends, flirting or networking for your career, but it's absolutely not weird to not use social media these days.

[kube-system]

> Have you ever heard some use the term "unalive" in person? It's as if they are protecting themselves from an algorithm, as if the conversation will be posted online.

Nobody is being socially pressured to avoid the word "dead/died/killed" in person, that's just an illustration of slang perpetuating.

[barbazoo]

> You are now the weirdo with something to hide when you are not on Instagram or Tiktok.

Definitely _not_ a universal feeling.