I haven't used really any form of social media (besides HN I suppose) in close to a decade at this point, and I don't feel at all disconnected or left out. Instead I tend to feel real benefits from:
1. Being hard to "reach". If someone wants to talk to me, they have to call, text, email or show up at my house. They can't just broadcast something on their whateverplace and expect me to find it. That makes me appreciate the people in my life who do make the effort to communicate with me personally. It lets me know they value me as a person and that I'm worth their time.
2. I am almost never tempted to think about my image. As a result I'm more "in the moment" and also more certain of my own motives. If the family is doing something fun, we can simply _enjoy it_. No need to document (though there's certainly no rule about this, and plenty of candid pictures are still taken). As someone who at times struggles with anxiety and loneliness, this is one (very large) less thing to worry about.
1. Being hard to "reach". If someone wants to talk to me, they have to call, text, email or show up at my house. They can't just broadcast something on their whateverplace and expect me to find it. That makes me appreciate the people in my life who do make the effort to communicate with me personally. It lets me know they value me as a person and that I'm worth their time.
2. I am almost never tempted to think about my image. As a result I'm more "in the moment" and also more certain of my own motives. If the family is doing something fun, we can simply _enjoy it_. No need to document (though there's certainly no rule about this, and plenty of candid pictures are still taken). As someone who at times struggles with anxiety and loneliness, this is one (very large) less thing to worry about.