Thoughts on going offline - off FB/Whatsapp/<insert-social-media-app-name-here> etc; Has anyone in /r/india tried this yet?

I last used WhatsApp in 2012. Used it about for a couple of months when it went from normal messaging app to daily bakchodi.

  1. how has this affected your personal communication with family, relatives, friends, colleagues and acquaintances, in that order?

For professors, teachers, people I have met through seminars, conferences, I have switched to email. 10/10 does the same job, also email makes it easier. You can tag un-read. No pressue to reply immediately at your seen message yo.

  1. Do you completely rely on phone_calls(landlines+mobiles)/SMSes/MMSes to communicate or are there other forms of messaging that you use on a day-to-day basis?

I use Telegram for IM and SMSes. We also have landline for any emergency. Also I send old school handwritten letters to my friends who are abroad and living in hostels. About 10 letters a year. We also skype, but letter does a better job.

  1. How do you keep in touch with people that you previously messaged/"whatsapped" and keep a track of days such as B'Days etc?

I synced my Facebook profile to save all the birthdays. I prefer calling them, it makes it really appreciated. This again depends on you. My cousin calls every single friend of hers, I have a small group of 5-6 friends with whom I wish regularly. Mom does the family birthday-wish-thing.

  1. What, in your opinion, are the pros and cons of going offline in such a manner?

It all depends how will you are connected to your janta. For me, many have asked me and oursued me to be on WhatsApp. They'll say that the smart phone is for our convenience. Very true, but my definition of convenience is different than yours, so that's that. I was in hostel/ residential school for a long time and we had no internet at all. So, I am used to SMS, letter writing. OTOH, my cousin lived at home, all her school friends were there at her college as well so her friend circle, more or less, remained the same.

It's been three years that I deleted WhatsApp but I am still in touch with my friends. I have been arrangeing college fests, various functions and shit, and I managed that without WA, especially when everyone was using it except me. I thought it would be really inconvenient for them, but it doesn't really affect.

Like /u/HookahBlues said, it is a CJ, more like a Quora CJ. For inner peace and shit, but if you are really looking forward to it, then you can always give it a try.

I use FB for the groups, related to my interests. People upload schodules of conferences, seminars and stuff, so that helps.

/r/india Thread