It is almost impossible, isn't it? For me it ultimately comes down to knowing my pain limits for various things (and that in itself is wrong, too extreme). May you find the sacred balance for you!
I shared this frustration to the extent that I left all Meta apps and Twitter. One exception to “platforms make money from their users on a free plan (that is you and me, if you have any social media account)” is Mastodon, which is my only remaining social media. It’s run by people interested in getting away from the algorithms and is decentralized, meaning not owned by a single corporation but run by many individuals and groups. (I’ve been on it since November 2022.)
Good for you, putting your feet where your truth is! People have recommended Mastodon before. At this time in my life I am not looking to join new communities or meet new people. I was sad when so many people I valued and genuinely cared about left Facebook. But I was also happy that I had (18 months earlier) taken the step to invest in Substack. And that is enough for me as a person who craves a lot of solitude! If ever I change my mind, I will contact you for some guidance on navigating Mastodon : )
Sure, I didn’t expect it would meet your needs, just wanted to point out that there is a social media platform that doesn’t make money from its users on a free plan. (It’s nice to send a couple of bucks every once in a while to whoever runs one’s server, but I think most people don’t.) I will add (for whoever would benefit from the info) that I’m largely a hermit, too, and have found Mastodon to be worth it. It’s not for everyone (yet?), but that’s part of the appeal. It has more of a healthy community feel.
Well said. I couldn't agree more regarding the "no free lunch" - everything comes with a price and the more we cultivate our discernment, the more we can see through to what that cost really is. I personally have left FB and IG for the most part. I felt too disheartened by the bad cocktail mix of people who feel entitled to a "free lunch" and the algorithms that prevent my written pieces that I pour so much into from seeing the light of day. Thank you for writing such a thought-provoking piece.
Yes, and I hope that Substack is kinder to you and deservedly supportive of your writing! Both FB and IG are short form platforms and X is even worse. How can anyone have a nuanced dialogue in short form? The very format is something to with it all too...
Indeed. Short form has never been my style or strong suit. I think that's why I love Substack. I've been here since fall of 2023 and I wish I'd found it sooner. It feels very different. A great home for writers and creatives. I'm so glad you're here.
I’ve experienced it all - going viral and getting trolled hard (actually, it was the trolling that led to going viral), echo chambers were content that would have historically been well circulated goes completely unnoticed, and a general turning away from anything self promotional. Now- I am relatively established in my main money making services. Over 10-15 yrs of building, social media has never, ever been my best marketer. However it has been a way for people to build an awareness of me/what I do. Now it feels like that’s even hard, posting for awareness. Nobody seems to see it. Perhaps that’s just the point we’re in collectively- social media blindness lol.
The only item of mine that went viral in 2024 (wild boar footage) got over 2 million views due to trolls. The negative (sneering) comments on that thread kept piling up well into 2025... The concept of "social media blindness" is interesting. I guess many of us need a break from inflamed dialogues and gut-wrenching world events. I think people have gone on social media fasts because we are all in it for the long haul... so we need to pace ourselves and give ourselves breathers.
Social media in general, and marketing on it in particular, is definitely a mine field these days. I struggle to find that balance, too.
It is almost impossible, isn't it? For me it ultimately comes down to knowing my pain limits for various things (and that in itself is wrong, too extreme). May you find the sacred balance for you!
I shared this frustration to the extent that I left all Meta apps and Twitter. One exception to “platforms make money from their users on a free plan (that is you and me, if you have any social media account)” is Mastodon, which is my only remaining social media. It’s run by people interested in getting away from the algorithms and is decentralized, meaning not owned by a single corporation but run by many individuals and groups. (I’ve been on it since November 2022.)
Good for you, putting your feet where your truth is! People have recommended Mastodon before. At this time in my life I am not looking to join new communities or meet new people. I was sad when so many people I valued and genuinely cared about left Facebook. But I was also happy that I had (18 months earlier) taken the step to invest in Substack. And that is enough for me as a person who craves a lot of solitude! If ever I change my mind, I will contact you for some guidance on navigating Mastodon : )
Sure, I didn’t expect it would meet your needs, just wanted to point out that there is a social media platform that doesn’t make money from its users on a free plan. (It’s nice to send a couple of bucks every once in a while to whoever runs one’s server, but I think most people don’t.) I will add (for whoever would benefit from the info) that I’m largely a hermit, too, and have found Mastodon to be worth it. It’s not for everyone (yet?), but that’s part of the appeal. It has more of a healthy community feel.
Well said. I couldn't agree more regarding the "no free lunch" - everything comes with a price and the more we cultivate our discernment, the more we can see through to what that cost really is. I personally have left FB and IG for the most part. I felt too disheartened by the bad cocktail mix of people who feel entitled to a "free lunch" and the algorithms that prevent my written pieces that I pour so much into from seeing the light of day. Thank you for writing such a thought-provoking piece.
Yes, and I hope that Substack is kinder to you and deservedly supportive of your writing! Both FB and IG are short form platforms and X is even worse. How can anyone have a nuanced dialogue in short form? The very format is something to with it all too...
Indeed. Short form has never been my style or strong suit. I think that's why I love Substack. I've been here since fall of 2023 and I wish I'd found it sooner. It feels very different. A great home for writers and creatives. I'm so glad you're here.
I’ve experienced it all - going viral and getting trolled hard (actually, it was the trolling that led to going viral), echo chambers were content that would have historically been well circulated goes completely unnoticed, and a general turning away from anything self promotional. Now- I am relatively established in my main money making services. Over 10-15 yrs of building, social media has never, ever been my best marketer. However it has been a way for people to build an awareness of me/what I do. Now it feels like that’s even hard, posting for awareness. Nobody seems to see it. Perhaps that’s just the point we’re in collectively- social media blindness lol.
The only item of mine that went viral in 2024 (wild boar footage) got over 2 million views due to trolls. The negative (sneering) comments on that thread kept piling up well into 2025... The concept of "social media blindness" is interesting. I guess many of us need a break from inflamed dialogues and gut-wrenching world events. I think people have gone on social media fasts because we are all in it for the long haul... so we need to pace ourselves and give ourselves breathers.