Geof Harries

I don't have an account on any of the major social media networks, except if you count Linkedin. I guess Linkedin loosely qualifies as a social network, but for me it's really just a place to host my resume. Otherwise, Linkedin doesn't provide me with much value.

Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Strava, you name it. I have no presence on any of them. At some point I did, but not for years.

I've found the longer I'm away from these sites, the more the concept of centralized social networking disinterests me.

For a guy who has worked on the web since 1998 (20 years!) my lack of social media presence often confuses people. They just assume I'm on there, somewhere. But you work on the....web. Isn't that part of your job?

No, in fact thankfully it's not. Phew.

If you still belong to one or all of these places and are mildly contemplating the deletion of your account(s), the thought of doing so may worry you. Perhaps you are concerned about missing out on updates or not being able to connect with friends.

Speaking from experience, none of these anxieties actually came true for me. In fact, my relationships with friends and family became deeper and more genuine because I had to ask them how they were doing.

Today, I really have no idea what people lately have been up to or what good or bad has been happening in their lives. I have to ask. We have to talk. Those conversations take more time and they don't happen as often as they should, but that's okay. We do our best.

I encourage you to reflect on why you’re at these places, and what they give or perhaps take away from your life. Despite popular opinion, they’re not for everyone.