What would life be like if we did not worry about how many likes our last Instagram photo received, or if we didn’t spend lazy Sunday afternoons perusing our friends’ Facebook walls? In a world of ever-increasing technology use, we often have trouble sympathizing with people who avoid social media. And, to be sure, those people are out there.
Take Kristen Andonie ’17, who has no social media accounts. “It’s pretty funny to see people’s reactions when you tell them you don’t have social media,” Andonie said. “Often, they gape at you, ask ‘Why?,’ and then try to convince you to stop being anti-social-media.”
Many Choate students who shun social media cite time as a factor. They bristle at their attention being diverted from schoolwork, face-to-face relationships, and old-fashioned, analogue leisure time. Carl Keck ’16, who also does not have any social media accounts, said, “During breaks I’m almost completely isolated from my friends as a result of having no social media, and this allows me to concentrate on reading, composing, archery, food, nature, writing, and much more.”
For Singhei Yeung ’16, privacy is a major concern. “I would prefer to have privacy from people and institutions that may want to find information about me without my knowing consent,” said Yeung, who does not have a Facebook or Instagram account. Many critics of social media worry that, especially in regards to the college application process, teenagers may hurt themselves by what they post.
In some cases, the decision to forgo social media was not entirely the students’. Andonie’s parents do not want her information to be publicized online. She admitted, “If it weren’t for my mom, I would have a Facebook account.” Yet other students simply abhor what social media has become. As Keck put it, “I’d say social media is a scourge of society that is ruining minds and wasting the time of millions. I find it utterly useless and just another way of giving away privacy.”
Alexis Walker ’17, who does not use Facebook or Instagram, claimed no moral high ground, but, simply, a lack of interest. “I would say that I am less aware of what’s going on in pop culture,” Walker said, “but pop culture doesn’t interest me much. If it did, I would have a social media account by now.”
In truth, social media has the power to both inspire and destroy. As Yeung said, “On one hand, it allows for people who may have never had the chance to meet to be able to communicate and become acquainted. On the other hand, it is a very effective medium for spreading rumors or falsities, as well as to harass people.”
If Keck claims that he will never be interested in social media, others are more receptive to the possibility. Jordan Howell ’16, who does not use any social media currently, said, “I honestly don’t mind social media now that I have gotten into college. At this point, I see it as a pretty good way to keep in contact with classmates.” For now, he’s stuck with the archaic methods of actual conversation.
