Social media

Q: Which platforms do you use? A: Instagram mostly, and WhatsApp for actually talking to people rather than just watching them. I deleted Twitter — X, whatever it's called now — a while back because I noticed I only ever left it in a worse mood. So it's really down to two apps at this point, which feels like plenty. Q: How much time do you spend on them? A: Less than I used to, but still more than I'd like to admit if I checked the screen-time report honestly. Probably around an hour a day, spread out in small chunks rather than one long sitting. It's the small chunks that add up without you noticing, which is the annoying part. Q: Have they changed how you keep in touch? A: Definitely — I keep up with far more people than I would otherwise, even if it's a fairly shallow kind of contact, a like here, a comment there. For the people who actually matter, though, I still prefer an actual message or a call, because social media contact doesn't really replace that. Q: Would you recommend them to older people? A: With some hesitation, yes — mainly because it's genuinely useful for keeping in touch with grandchildren or friends who've moved away. But I'd want to walk them through the privacy settings first, because I think older users are more exposed to some of the downsides without realising it.