I'm done with social media – Or: why I have a blog now

Distinct Skills: Craft vs “Being Good at Social”

• Many agree that being a good writer, programmer, or creator is a different skill from being a social media performer; the overlap is limited.
• Several recount meeting excellent engineers/authors whose online posts are shallow or even misleading because the format rewards pith over accuracy.
• A recurring point: if social media comes naturally and you already have an audience, it can help; but “joining to promote a book/product” rarely works.

Social Media as Pyramid Scheme / Attention Game

• Commenters resonate with the author’s “pyramid scheme” framing: platforms need endless new creators to feed engagement while only a few benefit.
• Social media is reframed as a massively multiplayer game where the objective is followers and “internet points,” often detached from real expertise.
• Algorithms are seen as optimizing for addiction and outrage, not value; feeds have drifted from social graphs to engagement-maximizing entertainment.

LinkedIn, Facebook, and Manipulative Growth Tactics

• Strong disdain for LinkedIn’s feed, vanity posts, and aggressive notifications. Advice: treat it as a static resume and referral tool, not a place to “be active.”
• Facebook’s auto-login “magic links” from marketing emails are viewed as disrespectful and insecure, seemingly used to inflate “active user” metrics.
• Users describe both platforms as spammy, low-signal, and full of hype or outright fabrications about professional accomplishment.

Mental Health, Addiction, and Harmful Content

• Multiple people describe quitting or heavily restricting Reddit, Instagram, TikTok, etc., citing anxiety, doomscrolling, and constant distraction.
• A vivid example: waking up to an algorithmically served execution video, leading to day-long anxiety and a decision to “log off.”
• Some argue moderation at scale is inherently imperfect; others focus less on moderation and more on the inherent harms of slot-machine-style short video.

Minimal Phones, Boredom, and Analog Habits

• Several report switching to feature phones or stripping smartphones of apps, rediscovering boredom, deeper focus, and enjoyment of movies/books.
• There’s debate whether this is niche “chattering class” backlash or an early sign of broader pushback against pervasive, attention-draining tech.

Alternatives: Blogs, RSS, Small Networks

• Strong enthusiasm for blogs, email newsletters, and RSS as “pure,” user-controlled tech for following creators without algorithms.
• People highlight small forums, IRC, Discord servers, private group chats, and self-hosted sites as closer to the “old internet” and more genuinely social.
• Some envision paid, small-scale social platforms (limited connections, no ads, no algorithmic feed) or LLM-based personal filters sitting between users and feeds.

Using Social Media Strategically (or Not at All)

• Some insist social media can still be powerful if used surgically: posting substantive work into niche communities, guesting on established channels, or treating platforms as write-only broadcast outlets.
• Others conclude that for many careers and small businesses, the requirement to be a constant “personal brand” is mentally unsustainable, and that word-of-mouth, curated channels, and owned platforms (blogs/newsletters) are healthier long-term.