Instagram, snapchat, twitter, fb

I don't do any social media - I really cannot un derstand the point. If I have real friends, I see them and talk to them in real life.

As far as I can see, Fb is just a platform for narcissists, snoopers, the insecure and the 'friend collectors' and worse, a bullying tool for teenagers. I see very little real value except for communicating with very distant real friends - but e-mail/skype already does that.

Following people??? Why? Really don't get that.

I suspect that this is me being a typical aspie and asking 'why?'

Looking at pictures of some (semi)stranger's lunch? Seriously? Get a life!!

I understand being on forums like this and other niche-interest websites as they provide useful data to the users (as well as sellable data for the host) so I'm ok with this semi-anonymous format.

Generally, I think the population is naive with their use of the internet and just how much overt personal information is used and will be used against them in future. I try to have as small as possible footprint without being too up-tight about it.

I agree - though I have found some useful Aspie pages on FB.  I only ever used to post news item links and research stuff - generally about autism or mental health.  Most of the few 'friends' I had on there (bar one) were people I've never met, but who are interesting in many ways and who also post interesting stuff.  As you say, so many people use it for rubbish.  I suppose it's good, too, for families and friends who live a long way apart and want to share news and photographs.

I don't have any friends in 'real life'.  But that doesn't bother me too much.

On a slightly related note to what you were saying at the end, I've always thought...

If you said to people that the government was going to make it mandatory for everyone to wear a device that contained all their personal information, their friends and family contacts, their banking details, photographs, and which kept tabs on their every activity and was also able to locate them at any time of day or night, people would be up in arms over invasion of privacy, state control and human rights violations.  Yet... everyone who's got a smart phone has essentially got that device, and they're happy to pay for the privilege of having it!  I was reading some stuff on Edward Snowden, and his findings about how the security services use this information without our knowledge.  Social media is a virtual goldmine for them. 

This is a dramatisation... but this is what they can do...

Snowden

so far i haven't been dumb enough to put my banking, or indeed any private information access on my phone

so far i haven't been dumb enough to put my banking, or indeed any private information access on my phone