How to Deal with Not Having a Facebook or MySpace
Remember: Just because "everyone else has one" doesn't make it cool., Tell yourself that these websites are overrated., Consider your personal safety., Consider your personal information., Go out and have a life off of the computer., Be proud you...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Remember: Just because "everyone else has one" doesn't make it cool.
Take pride in being different.
Social networking is still cool, but it is not as popular as it was in
2006. -
Step 2: Tell yourself that these websites are overrated.
Really, what is there to do? Sure, you can talk to people, but you can do the same over the phone or email. , Do you really want to risk getting stalked by some sexual predator just so you can meet someone you don't even know or so you can leave a comment on your friend's bachelor party? No matter how "safe" the website says it is, think about all that could go wrong.
It may not be worth the risk.
Even if you don't think it's a risk, there is even more to consider with "Locational Privacy" that users happily sign away with "Accept" buttons.
Electronic Frontier Foundation's "Locational Privacy..." paper may help you feel better being not-so-connected, and may remind you why being offline may be a breath of fresh air. , Recently, Facebook and Myspace have had a fire sale on all of their user's personal information, providing marketing firms and third-parties not only with information they requested, but also gave away information the marketers didn't even ask for.
They have a history of selling user information through violating your privacy, have done so in the past, and it shouldn't surprise you to hear more stories of it as well in the future. (In case you're wondering, now may be a good time to go back to Facebook and Myspace... really.
Go back to them and ensure that you have deleted your account and not merely "deactivated" it.) , If you all are out at the mall, none of you will be online.
You will actually be interacting.
Go to games, dances, invite kids over to your house, go to parties, hang out on the street like in the old days.
And actually doesn't it feel better to see people in real life anyway? , It's distracting.
It's easy for "five minutes" to turn into an hour and a half, and if you're already a procrastinator, that's not a good thing.
Concentrate on things that matter.
That term paper that's due Wednesday, perhaps? -
Step 3: Consider your personal safety.
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Step 4: Consider your personal information.
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Step 5: Go out and have a life off of the computer.
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Step 6: Be proud you will have a life!
Detailed Guide
Take pride in being different.
Social networking is still cool, but it is not as popular as it was in
2006.
Really, what is there to do? Sure, you can talk to people, but you can do the same over the phone or email. , Do you really want to risk getting stalked by some sexual predator just so you can meet someone you don't even know or so you can leave a comment on your friend's bachelor party? No matter how "safe" the website says it is, think about all that could go wrong.
It may not be worth the risk.
Even if you don't think it's a risk, there is even more to consider with "Locational Privacy" that users happily sign away with "Accept" buttons.
Electronic Frontier Foundation's "Locational Privacy..." paper may help you feel better being not-so-connected, and may remind you why being offline may be a breath of fresh air. , Recently, Facebook and Myspace have had a fire sale on all of their user's personal information, providing marketing firms and third-parties not only with information they requested, but also gave away information the marketers didn't even ask for.
They have a history of selling user information through violating your privacy, have done so in the past, and it shouldn't surprise you to hear more stories of it as well in the future. (In case you're wondering, now may be a good time to go back to Facebook and Myspace... really.
Go back to them and ensure that you have deleted your account and not merely "deactivated" it.) , If you all are out at the mall, none of you will be online.
You will actually be interacting.
Go to games, dances, invite kids over to your house, go to parties, hang out on the street like in the old days.
And actually doesn't it feel better to see people in real life anyway? , It's distracting.
It's easy for "five minutes" to turn into an hour and a half, and if you're already a procrastinator, that's not a good thing.
Concentrate on things that matter.
That term paper that's due Wednesday, perhaps?
About the Author
Pamela Hamilton
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in lifestyle and beyond.
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