I think I was one of the firsts among software engineers who started using Twitter in Iran back in 2007-2008; however, I am not proud of it at all. What makes me proud is that I was able to quit it 18 months ago! Also, I didn’t limit my self to just Twitter, and I also quit Facebook. Having said that, now the only social network that I am partially active in is Instagram which I have planned to get rid of soon.

What I have experienced during the these 18 months is that, the advantages of Twitter and other social networks are radically less than their disadvantages. I think we are spending our most valuable thing, which is time, making money for social network companies while we don’t get too much of them. Even if you follow, NASA, MIT, or your favorite music band doesn’t mean that your time is spent meaningfully.

But one may ask, I use social networks to stay informed about topics I like! If I quit Twitter for example, how can I keep posted about my favorite soccer club? My approach is to be as specific as possible. For instance, I like astronomy. To be able to stay informed about the latest news and stories, I have signed up for a weekly newsletter called The Space Review. Every Tuesday, I get the top most important and trending stories about space directly in my inbox. Tech and programming are another examples, I check hackernews twice a week and also subscribed to ArchLinux mailing list.

This approach works for me but it may not work for you. But the good point here is that you have control over your time and that’s the important part.