Why I’m Slowly Removing Myself from Social Media—and Making This Site My Home & Legacy

I’ve been online long enough to remember when “status” updates literally started with “Wayne is…” and when a poke was… well, an actual poke. I was one of those day-one-ish Facebook signups (2008–2009), when the Wall, News Feed, and that brand-new Like button were becoming the default way friends kept up—right around the time quizzes, apps, and photo tags were taking over our evenings. For a lot of us in Toronto, it replaced the old Classmates.com hustle—remember having to pay just to message old friends or see who peeked at your profile? (That site even faced lawsuits over the way it pushed upgrades.)

Back then it felt fun, simple, and kind of magic. Today, it feels like a slot machine in my pocket.

Why I’m Moving (Slowly) Off the Big Platforms

This isn’t a dramatic flounce. I still use a few apps. But I’m steadily shifting my energy here—to wayneslimreid.com—because:

1. Mental health > metrics. Leading advisories say heavy social use is linked to sleep problems, anxiety/depressive symptoms, and overall wellbeing concerns—especially for young people. The U.S. Surgeon General’s 2023–2025 advisory flat-out says we can’t conclude social media is “sufficiently safe” for youth and urges minimizing harms. Yale Medicine highlights the sleep connection; the APA notes that effects vary but risks grow with problematic use.

2. I want control of my words, music stories, and archives. When you publish on rented land, algorithms, policies—or a shutdown—can bury years of work. The IndieWeb’s POSSE idea (Publish on your Own Site, Syndicate Elsewhere) captures my move: own it here first, share it out second.
3. Peace and pace. I like the quiet of writing here without pinging everyone. No “feed performance” pressure. Just ideas that can breathe—and that my family can find in one place, years from now.
4. A real legacy. If a platform goes under or pivots, what happens to your voice? Here, I can keep long-form notes, the radio journey, the DJ experiments—the whole arc. That’s the point: a home, not a profile.

“But Everyone’s on Social!” (They are. That’s part of the problem.)

The big stage in 2025 is massive and crowded. The heavy hitters: YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, Messenger, X (Twitter), Snapchat, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Reddit, Discord, Telegram, Threads, Twitch, BeReal, Mastodon, Bluesky—plus regional giants like WeChat, QQ, LINE, KakaoTalk, VK, and Douyin. Reports this year show billions of users spread across multiple platforms; YouTube and Meta’s apps remain at the top in reach.

The catch? Attention is fractured. Creators are told to be everywhere, all the time. And the average day already crams in a staggering number of media minutes. (In Canada, eMarketer puts time spent with media at over 11 hours daily across devices.)

I’m not anti-social. I’m just pro-home base.

What I Remember About 2008–2009

If you were there, you remember the vibe: Wall posts stacking up, the new Like button (rolled out in early 2009), photo tag storms after a night out, and those early platform apps that made Facebook feel like the entire internet. Toronto crews found each other fast—and for a minute, it replaced the old Classmates.com model where you had to pay to actually reconnect. (That site’s aggressive upgrade tactics even led to a settlement in 2010.)

I’m grateful for that era. It helped me reconnect. But seasons change.

A Quick Nod to Aaron @ Crate Hackers

I recently watched “The BIGGEST Social Media Experiment in DJ History” from Aaron at Crate Hackers. His point landed: creators (and DJs) are better when we control our process and community—not when we chase every algorithmic whim. The video mirrors this post’s spirit; if you’re a DJ, give it a watch and decide for yourself.

Why My Site Is Better—for Me, and for Family

• Ownership & permanence. I can set the rules, keep archives, and export backups. If I go quiet on socials, the story still lives here. (That’s the essence of POSSE.)

• No whiplash. Policies, reach, even entire features change overnight on platforms. Here, I pick the cadence and format.

• Better fit for my mix of interests. Radio, R&B history, family, tech, visuals, Toronto—no need to squeeze into one-minute clips.

• Privacy & data respect. There’s no third-party feed deciding who sees which memories, or selling the context around them.

• A true legacy. One day my kids will scroll this site and say, “Oh—that’s why Dad spent so many hours in the basement.”It all ties together: the shows, the mixes, the essays, the experiments.

How I’ll Use Social (Going Forward)

I’ll still syndicate highlights—share links out from here to YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, Bluesky, etc.—but the master copy lives at wayneslimreid.com. That way, if the apps change again (they will), the work stays findable, and the comments and context ultimately point back home. That’s calmer for me—and kinder to the work.

Thanks for reading. And if you found this via social, welcome to the source.

FAQ

Q1: Are social apps bad for mental health?
Not inherently. But high use—especially at night—correlates with poorer sleep and wellbeing. The U.S. Surgeon General urges caution and risk-reduction steps for youth; APA notes effects vary by person and context.

Q2: Why not just post everything on social and back it up later?
Because reach, rules, and even availability can change without notice. Publishing here first (then syndicating) protects ownership and continuity.

Q3: What are the main platforms in 2025?
YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, Messenger, X, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Reddit, Discord, Telegram, Threads, Twitch, BeReal, Mastodon, Bluesky—and regional platforms like WeChat, QQ, LINE, KakaoTalk, VK, and Douyin.

Q4: Didn’t Classmates.com start this reconnection trend?
Yes—Classmates pioneered the “find your old friends” model, often behind a paywall, and later faced legal criticism over upsells and claims. Facebook then mainstreamed free reconnection.