After the outsized, negative effect Meta platforms had on feeding misinformation to the public ahead of the 2024 United States presidential election, I chose to limit my use of Facebook and Instagram (IG). I stopped posting new content to my accounts and use the accounts only to (occasionally) read. Most of my social media presence has been switched to Bluesky and Tik Tok. But now that a deal has been reached to sell 80% and all of the data management rights of Tik Tok to a group of American investors with plans to isolate the US version of Tik Tok from the rest of the world with governmental oversight over the content (what the iron curtain???), I’ll be withdrawing from that platform as well. I intend to do the same thing I did with Twitter: keep my account, but no longer use the platform at all.
Beyond the implications for the death of free speech in this country, I am saddened because my content, sparse though it may be, gets far more traction on Tik Tok than it ever got on my Discord server, this blog and even on Facebook or IG combined. I am on Rednote and have started posting regularly there, but the language barrier makes it difficult for me to interact with other non-Americans on that site, so my content doesn’t get much reach there at all. I have wondered if I need to bite the bullet and go back to posting regularly in IG in spite of Meta leaving a very bad taste in my mouth. IG remains insanely popular with a lot of potential for my content to have great reach, if I figure out how to game the algorithm. It is quite possible that my strong sense of justice is causing me to do the social media equivalent of cutting off my nose to spite my face. I don’t want to do that, especially since I have gotten renewed interest in creating content. Meta certainly isn’t suffering from my absence there; I am the one suffering from lack of exposure. But I don’t want to be associated with them and what their CEO stands for, and I hate the idea of my content driving traffic to their site in any form or fashion.
So I am thinking out loud and wondering what to do. I know a lot of otherwise socially conscious people still create IG content. Maybe I can hold my nose and do the same for the sake of engagement. But part of me is dying inside at the thought.
2 responses to “(Do) I Want to Be Where the People Are? Rethinking My Social Media Strategy.”
I certainly wouldn’t recommend dying inside at the thought of doing anything. It is definitely “hurting” you in some ways to not be on those platforms but that hurt may be offset greatly by the peace of mind you have each day knowing you are living in alignment with your values. If you can’t find a way to comfortably exist on those platforms accept it and look at the other methods that still are out there from building a mailing list (much more powerful than social media) or sites like substack etc. And if at a later date you find yourself able to comfortably return, don’t look at it as a reversal just a continuation. You’re allowed 😀
I love this balanced response. I didn’t realize a mailing list is more powerful than social media. Why is that? I suppose I can use social media to direct people to my mailing list. We should probably chat about this more offline. 🙂