Caution: Use only as intended

I know very well the perils of social media. I understand that it can be classified as an addiction. I have read all about how the body's dopamine levels increase when opening Facebook. And I realize that one's mental health may be decimated by comparing oneself to their friends' social media lives. I know that Facebook has way more information about me than I'd like.
I get it. I do.
I just don't care.
That's not to say that I have no care for my own mental health with regards to FB. I've snoozed all my friends who talk politics on the regular. Like, really, all of them. Those with the occasional post have been permitted to stay in my feed, but those with vastly opposing views, or those that post too much, have been snoozed. Rage and frustration aren't good for me, and I've lessened their impact by snoozing those people. My feed is a happy, positive and informed space because of it. I know as well as anyone the bright, shiny process of using an Instagram filter, so I like and scroll through those posts with a grain of salt.
Brian is super proud of, and somewhat pretentious in, his dislike of Facebook. "I only check it like once a week," he tells me regularly. "They have too much information." Yeah, I know. "You give them too much information." Yeah, I know.
A friend posted the other day that she was happier off social media. Duly noted that she went on social media to tell us all how happy she is off social media, but whatever. Good for her. It's the smugly superior implication that those of us on our social media are less happy than she is, or haven't yet seen the light, as far as she's concerned, is irritating.
On that post about being happier, all that friend's enablers chimed in. "Indeed, I'm happier without it, too!" "You're so strong!" "Yes, you're absolutely right!" "Life is better off Facebook!" Again, noted that they were on social media to even comment on this.
The kicker is that these people, as long as they don't post anything, can stalk and peruse and observe, and still feel like they're not actually participating on any of these sites, and no one can call them out on their false superiority.
Me? I post everything that interests me. I check in to places regularly. I share pictures and bits and pieces about my day. Why? Because I'm more interested in what everyone else is doing. If I engage, hopefully, they will, too. I use the social media apps as they're intended, to keep up with people. To see what they're doing. To hear about their day, or to see something that may have surprised or intrigued them.
You see, I'm what they call a long-distance friend. I can't see my friends and family regularly from where I am, so FB and Instagram fulfill a special place in my heart, giving me an all-encompassing place where I can catch up with all of them throughout my day. And it lets me share what's happening in my day, if they care to know.
So sure, it's an addiction; it's an invasion of privacy; it's a crutch. But it's also perfect for using as it was intended. Yes, I take those "My life is better without Facebook, and yours could be, too" posts personally. Those people are probably close enough to their friends and family to not need such a connection in their lives. My life would not be better without Facebook. It would be lonelier. So I'm going to keep posting and status-ing and liking and commenting. It's important to me, and keeps me sane.