At some point in our lives, we’ve been that person. Someone who’s had enough of the cat memes, whiny status updates, and constant barrage of food pictures and finally decides to throw in the towel on social media—often in a rather dramatic fashion, like this guy:
We all go through this phase. And if you do a quick Google search, you can find plenty of articles out there telling you all about the wonderful freedom and benefits of quitting social media.
But forget Google. Social media is awesome. And if you’re on the verge of going off grid to pursue the life of an enlightened Luddite, here are four reasons to NOT leave social media.
It’s Good for Business
Social media is like a divine gift to businesses. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and even newer platforms like Snapchat and Periscope, have changed the way businesses interact with their customers.
These social sites are some of the most powerful tools at your disposal when it comes to consumer research, engagement, retention, relationship management, and even advertising, and this hasn’t gone unnoticed by business leaders. In a recent survey, 70% of marketers reported that they’re increasing their social spending in 2015, and 92% of businesses have said they use social media for hiring.
So whether you’re a business owner, employee, or searching for a job, staying savvy with social media is a good thing.
It’s Taking Over All Other Forms of Media
Be honest. Where do you get your news? Is it Facebook? We bet it’s Facebook.
In fact, we’re willing to bet good money that most of your conversations about world events start with, “I saw an article on Facebook about….”, and we’ve got the numbers to back it up.
In 2014, Pew Research reported that a solid 2/3rds of the American population uses Facebook to get their news—followed closely by YouTube, which picks up another fifth.
And it’s all thanks to sharing. People read an article they deem important, funny, entertaining, etc, and they share it, blasting it out thousands of people, and that process is eternally repeating itself. Anything important that’s happening right now can be found in your Facebook News Feed. Guaranteed.
Social media has had such an impact on news that Mark Zuckerberg actually wants publishers post news on Facebook BEFORE they post on their own news site, and SnapChat and Twitter are looking to follow suit.
Before long, social media will be our number one source of information.
It’s a People’s Revolution
Social media is the weapon of the masses. Never in the history of mankind has there been something so powerful and yet so accessible to the average citizen. As social media has transitioned from a novelty to a real, functional part of our lives, it’s brought with it transparency and virality, which basically means that we see and know EVERYTHING.
It’s hard to get away with anything these days without it being blasted all over the Internet. The moment a political figure gaffes, the second a business leader pulls an unethical move, as soon as a celebrity does something outrageous, it’s in the hands of the people, and it spreads like wild fire.
Take for example Mitt Romney’s infamous “47 percent” comments during the 2012 presidential election. When that video hit the internet, it spread around from platform to platform, garnering 2 million views in just 24 hours. It outraged a ton of voters, and has been cited by some as the death blow to Romney’s campaign.
In the past 10 years, Facebook and Twitter have won campaigns, fueled revolution, organized protests, and inspired activism all over the world, making businesses and government transparent to the people like never before.
You’ll Probably Be Back Anyways
Let’s be honest. How long are you REALLY going to stay away from social media?
We’d venture to guess not too long. Everyone who leaves will eventually come back, and why wouldn’t they? The whole freakin’ world is using social media. It’s one of the top forms of communication. Without social media, you can expect to suffer a serious case of FOMO.
But really, we get the frustration. There is A LOT of useless, misleading, and troublesome information floating around out there—not to mention annoying trolls and the very real problem with cyberbullies.
It’s actually pretty healthy to step away, go outside, or read a book from time to time, but we don’t suggest abandoning social media all together, because it’s where the world is. Through the nonsense, it’s truly a good thing for mankind.
Got any questions? Comments? Something to add? Shoot em to us!
