DEAR MISS MANNERS: I admit it: I am not a user of social media. I care not at all if some self-absorbed celebrity is, or is not, breastfeeding. Nor do I believe one’s every thought needs to or should be broadcast to the masses in an early morning tweet. How does Miss Manners view social media and the apparent complete abandonment of civility?
GENTLE READER: Social media did not invent bragging or celebrity gossip; it is only a system for distributing them widely. (It did, however, commit the crime of inventing “Please admire my lunch!” photography.)
Still, Miss Manners notices that participation remains voluntary. You no more need to be on social media than to hang on the back fence listening to neighborhood gossip.
The reward is a lot of free time to do more interesting things, although admittedly some of it must be spent explaining to your real-life social circle that if they want to reach you for an announcement or an invitation, they must do it another way.