Dubai: Is one of your New Year’s resolutions to quit social media and claw back your free time?
If so, you’re not alone.
Close to 8 in 10 people wish to banish their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat accounts — and countless other networks and apps — new research suggests.
Almost 4 in 10 people, out of 4,800 users polled worldwide by anti-virus firm Kaspersky Lab, say they find social media a waste of time.
But pulling the plug is not as easy as it seems. A fear of losing friends and the neat catalogue of memories captured in cyberspace keeps more than 6 in 10 people from pulling the plug.
And in the UAE, where residents report spending five hours a day on social media, according to research firm YouGov, some users say they have no plans to give it up.
“I do not want to leave social media or reduce my current usage as it is very beneficial to get along with friends,” says Lekshmy Menon, an Indian expat from Al Ain. “Especially those who I haven’t met for a long time or those who are far away from where I stay.”
-Staying in touch-
With such a large expat population, residents who have come to seek a new life find social media networks a lifeline to stay in touch with loved ones and friends back home.
“Even when I got married it was easier to send out wedding invitations,” she adds. “It also helps greatly as I can’t keep making international calls to my friends and hence WhatsApp and Facebook are a boon.”
But Harshith Belagur, who lives in Sharjah, plans to at least cut back — for his family’s sake.
“I do not want to stop my usage completely but, yes, I do want to reduce and limit myself when I use social media as it affects life with family,” the Indian expat says.
“I need to maintain conversation with my parents who I live with and not be busy using social media alone.”
He’s also worried about continuing a heavily indoor lifestyle, an all-too common trend over the scorching summer months.
“We need to exercise and maintain our health and only spend restricted time on social media sites.”
