I don't agree that they have to use mass social media that wants to skim all our data, contacts, etc., and dump unwanted advertising on us.
They don't have to, but they want to. The number of people worried about having their preferences skimmed so they can be sent targeted advertising rather than generic ads is tiny compared to the number of people who like the benefits that social media brings.
You're going to get exposed to advertising anyway, so it may as well be targeted. As for getting your data, social media can only get what you give it. It's not compulsory to provide accurate or even truthful information when you create an account. Personally it bothers me not one jot that I get to see targeted adverts. I just scrolled through my Facebook feed. Out of the first 40 posts from friends and groups I participate in, I saw 4 adverts: for 3D Printers, Vintage Fonts, Beard Grooming kits, and BMW i3. Seems a lot more preferable to see these rather than ads for soap operas, makeup, cheap holidays, and computer games.
Choosing not to participate in social media is an entirely valid position to take but it comes at a cost, and as the number of people who do use it grows and grows, that cost becomes more and more evident - that of finding it more and more difficult to be involved in current events.
