Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
A recent survey conducted for MSNBC.com shows a growing divide between people who use social media and those who don't want to use it. Surveyors say the divide is mostly over one specific thing--privacy.
Social Media Club of Salt Lake City Program Director John Hopkins said, "It's definitely a concern, especially if you're a rather private person."
He said many of the people he speaks with just don't feel they have time to use sites like Facebook or Twitter, but the privacy concerns are valid. Even members of the club have deactivated their Facebook accounts over privacy issues.
He believes these concerns will eventually get worse when geo-location features become more prominent with social media.
"People will opt into it without even knowing it, just like the settings on Facebook that people have as a default," Hopkins said.
He said pretty much all business owners will have to use social media sites eventually. There are just too many benefits to having them. But, for now, there are plenty of holdouts.
"When I first came to town here, I did some consulting for a restaurant that the owner, one of the two owners, just was really anti-social media. He just thought it was the biggest waste of time," he said.
Hopkins said the old advice is still the best--don't put personal information on your social media pages. He says he never discloses his kids' names or when he's going on vacation or where he banks.
As for the people who say they will never use Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter, Hopkins doesn't even try to convince them anymore.
"There are so many opportunities put there to help people with this stuff that trying to change people's minds who are against it, it just doesn't make any sense," he said.
E-mail: pnelson@ksl.com
