You are so very right on this. And the push to "sell" has led to a lot less quality or accuracy in the 'products' sold. Ironically this is happening at a time when people are less and less inclined to do the research and dig deep enough to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Good reflections. I (and others in my circle) have been wrestling with this concept for some time now, and I think you've squared it pretty well. The whole thing just seems a bit "off," a bit inauthentic if you will, and the artifice I think is caused - and perpetuated - by the performative aspect of the platforms. We're required to put on our acting faces and be in sales mode, almost constantly.
This will sound like I'm blowing my own horn and inflating my own ego, but I don't think I am, so take it for what it's worth. What bugs me is that I'm trying to be real, trying to be authentic, trying to make my interactions personal and not transactional. I don't want to be in constant sales mode, perpetually eyeballing how I'm "branding" myself, and yet if I don't, I don't get traction. Impressions drop, reposts diminish, subscribers remain low. Sensationalism, hot takes, clout chasing, and niche fulfillment seem to win; consistency and reliability lose.
So what is one to do? I have faith that eventually the human soul will grow weary of the performances and the limbic system will become exhausted with the constant emotional spikes. Eventually people will return to anchored, principled sanity. Those of us who resisted the urge to pursue fleeting exhilaration over integrous reliability will be rewarded. I hope I don't give over to the dark side before that occurs.
The concept of community is difficult for me. A big part of me believes it's needed if we're to make anything out the current state of the arts, but you're not wrong about the brand often getting in the way of things.
I try to do my part of liking and sharing the work I like and even speaking with the artists on here I most admire and want to encourage and want to get to know. Sometimes I never know if their own responses are the same issue you brought up, numbers and brands, looking at me as a potential boost in subscribers. I'm worried I've slipped into this trap at times as well. However, I do get this sickly feeling when it happens and quickly try to back away from that line. Maybe that's a good sign, but I'm not sure.
I still feel a community is important, but it's not something I'm bending over backwards for. Even before I came to Substack I've been more committed of striving to build life itself as a piece of art, and seeking out a brand isn't the end all be all of doing that. When I come to moments of doubt such as these for various reasons, I remind myself to just keep writing and be real. Whoever comes there way will come, whether it's here or somewhere else.
Good article, really got me thinking even if my thoughts are a ramble.
Reflections like this are why I love Substack and books. While much of social media is degrading, there are diamonds in the garbage, and I hunt for them. I try to use YT as a tool instead of it being a tool that uses me - though obviously, that happens. After listening to so many YT philosophy lectures, I appreciate why Heidegger wasn't thrown in the dustbin for his Nazi affiliation and understand the joke by a Sufi scholar that cultural Marxists provide a useful lens to critique society but always demand an ocular transplant. And, in my opinion, their demand for removing "faith, family and flag" has not yielded utopia but rather hyper-faux individualism. As you say, we are all a brand, and our existing, as we couture it, is for sale.
I think I'm more similar to you (in terms of your relationship with the fetid world of social media) than I am to many adolescents... but we shouldn't forget the world they're adrift in. It's too easy for adults to throw their hands up-"these crazy kids!" We don't have a collective responsibility to intervene but we do have a responsibility to share knowledge about the situation, especially to parents with teenage kids. MILLIONS of teenagers are awash in worlds of pornography, extremism, confusion, and algorithmic neurosis.
Community means different things to many people, but Substack feelsore like a community than most social media venues. The only other place that had similar vibes on a much smaller scale was the now-defunct ello, which I still miss.
I understand why some people monetize, but I'm among those who don't. Instead of asking folks to subscribe for x $/mo., I'm happy that people read my poems, stories, and enjoyy posts. At the same time, I occasionally plug my two books, which for are for sale.
In sum, I'm thankful for Substack and the community of other creatives who share their work and support for others. I'm also thankful for the many people I've got to know here. It feels like home.
Others have commented perfectly on the message of this piece. I want to comment on the writing itself: it is authentic art. And much appreciated amid the narcissistic noise of all platforms.
You are so very right on this. And the push to "sell" has led to a lot less quality or accuracy in the 'products' sold. Ironically this is happening at a time when people are less and less inclined to do the research and dig deep enough to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Good reflections. I (and others in my circle) have been wrestling with this concept for some time now, and I think you've squared it pretty well. The whole thing just seems a bit "off," a bit inauthentic if you will, and the artifice I think is caused - and perpetuated - by the performative aspect of the platforms. We're required to put on our acting faces and be in sales mode, almost constantly.
This will sound like I'm blowing my own horn and inflating my own ego, but I don't think I am, so take it for what it's worth. What bugs me is that I'm trying to be real, trying to be authentic, trying to make my interactions personal and not transactional. I don't want to be in constant sales mode, perpetually eyeballing how I'm "branding" myself, and yet if I don't, I don't get traction. Impressions drop, reposts diminish, subscribers remain low. Sensationalism, hot takes, clout chasing, and niche fulfillment seem to win; consistency and reliability lose.
So what is one to do? I have faith that eventually the human soul will grow weary of the performances and the limbic system will become exhausted with the constant emotional spikes. Eventually people will return to anchored, principled sanity. Those of us who resisted the urge to pursue fleeting exhilaration over integrous reliability will be rewarded. I hope I don't give over to the dark side before that occurs.
100 percent, all I can say- and thanks for the thoughtful comment!
Great comment!
The concept of community is difficult for me. A big part of me believes it's needed if we're to make anything out the current state of the arts, but you're not wrong about the brand often getting in the way of things.
I try to do my part of liking and sharing the work I like and even speaking with the artists on here I most admire and want to encourage and want to get to know. Sometimes I never know if their own responses are the same issue you brought up, numbers and brands, looking at me as a potential boost in subscribers. I'm worried I've slipped into this trap at times as well. However, I do get this sickly feeling when it happens and quickly try to back away from that line. Maybe that's a good sign, but I'm not sure.
I still feel a community is important, but it's not something I'm bending over backwards for. Even before I came to Substack I've been more committed of striving to build life itself as a piece of art, and seeking out a brand isn't the end all be all of doing that. When I come to moments of doubt such as these for various reasons, I remind myself to just keep writing and be real. Whoever comes there way will come, whether it's here or somewhere else.
Good article, really got me thinking even if my thoughts are a ramble.
Reflections like this are why I love Substack and books. While much of social media is degrading, there are diamonds in the garbage, and I hunt for them. I try to use YT as a tool instead of it being a tool that uses me - though obviously, that happens. After listening to so many YT philosophy lectures, I appreciate why Heidegger wasn't thrown in the dustbin for his Nazi affiliation and understand the joke by a Sufi scholar that cultural Marxists provide a useful lens to critique society but always demand an ocular transplant. And, in my opinion, their demand for removing "faith, family and flag" has not yielded utopia but rather hyper-faux individualism. As you say, we are all a brand, and our existing, as we couture it, is for sale.
I think I'm more similar to you (in terms of your relationship with the fetid world of social media) than I am to many adolescents... but we shouldn't forget the world they're adrift in. It's too easy for adults to throw their hands up-"these crazy kids!" We don't have a collective responsibility to intervene but we do have a responsibility to share knowledge about the situation, especially to parents with teenage kids. MILLIONS of teenagers are awash in worlds of pornography, extremism, confusion, and algorithmic neurosis.
A broken promise indeed...
https://jmpolemic.substack.com/p/the-maelstrom
Community means different things to many people, but Substack feelsore like a community than most social media venues. The only other place that had similar vibes on a much smaller scale was the now-defunct ello, which I still miss.
I understand why some people monetize, but I'm among those who don't. Instead of asking folks to subscribe for x $/mo., I'm happy that people read my poems, stories, and enjoyy posts. At the same time, I occasionally plug my two books, which for are for sale.
In sum, I'm thankful for Substack and the community of other creatives who share their work and support for others. I'm also thankful for the many people I've got to know here. It feels like home.
Others have commented perfectly on the message of this piece. I want to comment on the writing itself: it is authentic art. And much appreciated amid the narcissistic noise of all platforms.