Since years, sorry decade, i am an active user of Meta products. In April 2014, i started using Facebook. In 2018 i started using Instagram. Around Lockdown in 2020, i started using Twitter (Now X). In similar time period, i created account on several social media apps.Age of my social media accounts:
— Ashish Anand (@retort_reply) February 7, 2025
FB: 11 Yrs old
Insta: 7yrs
Linkedin: 10yr old, using from 5yrs
X : 5yrs
Snapchat: 2yrs
Whatsapp & Telegram: n years. #ContentConsumer for a reason 😬
Lets talk app by app in little detail, looking back in timeline, what i learned there, how these apps affected my lifestyle and personality.
1. FACEBOOK
10 years ago, in those days, video culture wasn't much prevalent on facebook. Also i had small keypad phone. So consumed most of the content in text format. Even now in 2025, many memes are jokes isn't new for me, because i already read it years ago on Facebook.
Facebook helped me to gain knowledge of various different fields. I used to read devotional, political, sports and साहित्य related contents there.
It helped me to increase my reading speed, reading from eyes, reading without speaking. Even today, all these fast forward reading skills helping me everyday.
We ( i along with Vivek Vishal) created memes there too. During lockdown, we run a group called STRESS FREE ZONE, which gained good popularity during these days.
Now, i just open and check updates there, because most of senior relatives and people from my hometown, village are connected there, so its great place for getting local updates. Apart from that, sometime post some cultural and religious posts on page.
INSTAGRAM
Its bcoz of Insta, that i started speaking meme type language to do funy conversation, lol.
Also created many accounts there, of memes, news, finance. But closed all. That's bigger lack in me, when accounts started performing, i started to cut my time there.
Apart from my original I'd @ig.vats, i have 2 another profiles. One is linked to facebook page, another is also religious type, but won't disclose it right now.
TWITTER (NOW X)
My major reason to start using Twitter was to get all। political updates before others. Because i used to watch news from 15 years, and headlines were always like that: नरेंद्र मोदी ने ट्वीट कर यह जानकारी दी, रक्षा मंत्रालय ने ट्वीट कर बताया कि..., etc etc, so even for news channels, twitter was primary source of getting genuine updates. Another reason was to get directly connected with politicians and bureaucrats and comment on their posts, criticize it, appraise it, and give my opinion.
After using it for 1-2 years, i realised that Twitter is best place to learn English. Because most the posts u read and write there is in english. Even complex to complex matters is written there in 160 words. So how to summarise something, writing summarise content, these skills are very useful which i gained from Twitter.
Currently my username is @Retort_Reply. Where retort means: करारा या मुहतोड़ जवाब, because i thought to post less and comment more on others post, so i kept this username. Befitting replies, and others handle wasn't available so choosed synonyms as Retort.
In this ID there is more than 5600+ posts till date. Approx 98% of it are self written. I dk negligible retweets/repost others content. Even want to do that, then quote it with own words/opinion.
During lockdown, my another ID was @AshishKaTweet. I used to do participate in several twitter trend campaigns from that ID. Its still active but i stopped using it now.
One of meme like tweet from that ID was once featured in Hindustan Times. (Small achievement 😃)
I still think that, if you want to consume content in text format, come to X. Finance creators on X, CA's on X is n times better than from Instagram creators. Even any tweet format meme or post which i see on Instagram, was already viewed by me on X. Now long videos also available on X, live news available, spaces for audio discussion available, so its all in one great place.
LINKEDIN
Also many marriage proposals are coming for my elder sister at that time. So i checked profiles of Grooms working in corporates there. After 2020 i started it using daily, checking posts and CA related stuffs and updates. In last 2-3 years, everyone is creator there. If u check experience section of DU Graduation students, u get shocked from their profile. Everyone is Founder and Co-Founder at 1-2 places. Their experience section have more than 5 rows 🧐 my profile is also complete there, but i just go there to see the level of faking professionalism there 😃
SNAPCHAT
YOUR QUOTE
Between my teenage from 13 to 17, i get good exposure of reading hindi poems and quotes of normal peoples (not poets). Also writtten 150+ posts there. Get exposure of hindi & english thinking in early age, which is somehow helping now.
KOO
Koo was like Twitter of India. During lockdown it get promoted by various BJP leaders. Even many govt. handles joined Koo and posted there daily.
But now this app is also officially closed! I bas used and scrolled it, not posted much there.
WHATSAPP & TELEGRAM
These are messaging apps, not social media but social networking type. Using it like everyone others. Nothing special from my side.
YOUTUBE
But maximum, i watched CA Intermediate lecture. 2 years tak lgataar! Also taken premium for 6-7 months. Very worthy twitter premium, student plan was only 79/month that time, now i think its 89/month. If u skip eating one day outside, u can easily afford youtube premium.
Also posted many videos there. My youtube posting principle is: Youtube is free storage, where you can upload any video (even family wala too) and share the link to whoever asks. Unlisted bna ke upload krdo. Delete from local storage, and enjoy video on TV, Phone.. easily share to anyone and they too can watch smoothly.
Proudly saying that i never added my youtube video link on whatsapp status 🤣 but adding some here, u can check it:
1. Posted 3 months ago, on old 500-1000 currency notes. Crossed 7k+ views 😃 click here to check.
2. Comedy but sweet conversation between Byjus customer care and Bihari Maithil Father. Crossed 23k+ views, click here to check.
3. Do any PDF/ Document printing from sitting home. 0.60paisa per page. Crossed 6.5k+ views, click here to check.
4. Learned, recited and uploaded poem Krishna ki chetavni, by Ramdhari Singh Dinkar during lockdown. Click here to check.
5. 2 year old, my bhanja chanting Shiv Tandava. Click here to check.
Its enough for here, u have link, go and watch mkre videos!
GOOGLE MAPS
NARENDRA MODI APP
Once i engaged im activites there, take part in polls, recommend ideas for Mann Ki Baat program. Modiji every year wishes me on my birthday via email.
MYGOV App
Played more than 200 quizzes there. Website to play quiz is www.quiz.mygov.in ,won prize money 2 times.
BLOGGER and WORDPRESS
started using google Blog/website making products during lockdown. Made this one blog site where you are reading this. Apart from that, another site is: www.mithilakewaasi.blogspot.com for Facebook page, where i post content in Maithili Language. Another one on wordpress : www.fairfaults.wordpress.com
Explored all free tools, how to design and customise site, how to add different themes and update it by customising codes in backend.
These days i rarely write blog posts.
Conclusion & Comments
All these apps are yes time consuming, but in long term, its useful in my case. But you have to make control on the hours of using it. I consumed crores of words, and lakhs of template based posts and thousands of text based articles there. I learned words, sentences, grammar, english, hindi, current affairs, and many more things.
But also, it effected my personal life too. Even i failed 2-3 times in CA exams, i may blame these apps for that. I never deactivated these IDs. I always thought ki one should control on themselves, and for small duration between 2 studies, while cooking, while travelling, one can scroll these apps, it doens't hamper study. But i was wrong. Because using these apps may give you positive distractions, which results in less dedication towards studies.
In my final attempt of CA Intermediate exams, i first time uninstalled Instagram & Twitter (X). And i passed exam.
Conclusion is that, you should draw your own lakshman rekha, use app as per your need. Don't let technology govern you. Use your mind and optimally use these resources for your betterment. Don't set your duty to watch and scroll reels daily. The biggest drawback of watching reels is after every 30-40seconds, you are changing the type, sector, subject, topic, colour, theme, appearance, style everything of your content. It decreases your concentration power, and also bad for eyes!
You are the owner of your own body and destiny.
Only tangible fixed asset thats your own, is your body, and intangible asset is your mind and mann. Don't depreciate it.. but Appreciate it. Self growth is what that makes you king!
Keep learning!
Bye! Regards
Ashish Anand.
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