Understanding My Unfollow Triggers

When I started sharing my thoughts on this platform a few months back, I approached it with an attitude of exploration and honesty. A significant part of this journey was rethinking my relationship with the follow button.

Platforms like Instagram and Twitter have turned the concept of following into a competitive game. A prime example is the follow-for-follow tactic that inflates someone's follower count, only to unfollow them later for a better ratio. It's a pointless practice.

To counteract this, I decided to only follow individuals I knew personally or felt a genuine connection with. Initially, this was my approach here too. However, a few writers, particularly one renowned on Medium, shifted my perspective. Though his follower statistics might not look impressive, the quality of his writing speaks volumes, and his audience engages with him meaningfully.

Inspired by him, I broadened my horizons and began following more writers whose content resonates with me—whether it's uplifting, humorous, insightful, or just plain valuable.

I’m not without flaws. Living with ADHD means that some days, my focus is scattered, and I might withdraw from social interactions entirely. If you've followed me and I haven't reciprocated, I apologize—just reach out, and I'll gladly check out your work.

However, I have three crucial stipulations. ✨

If you engage in the following behaviors, you’ll find yourself unfollowed quicker than you can imagine:

1. Promoting Harmful or Hateful Content

If your posts convey negativity, marginalization, or harm to others, consider yourself unfollowed. I've spent too long tolerating unacceptable behavior, and I have no time for it now. If you want to spread negativity, do it elsewhere.

Of course, “mean” is subjective. But the only perspective I can control is my own. I don’t wish to live in an echo chamber; I value diverse experiences and viewpoints, as they expand my understanding of the world. Yet, if your words aim to hurt or deny others their rights, I won’t hesitate to disconnect. 👋

2. Utilizing AI for Your Writing

If you rely on ChatGPT or other AI tools for your stories, I’m not interested. While I understand that AI has its advantages, I can’t support those who use it to churn out content without genuine effort. I recently came across an article titled, “How to use ChatGPT to make money writing, even if you hate writing and are terrible at it.” If you despise writing, perhaps you should pursue a different path.

I’m not completely opposed to AI; it has potential benefits and risks. But I won’t encourage those who opt for convenience over authenticity.

3. Engaging in Spammy or Scammy Tactics

I've seen some individuals include instructions at the top of their articles, urging readers to stay on the page for a certain duration to count as a "read." While that's one strategy, a better approach would be to craft engaging content that naturally captures attention.

You can read Ethan Ginsberg's insightful take on this matter here.

As I navigate this platform, I recognize that such behaviors can emerge sporadically. It exemplifies a decline in content quality, and I hope the community remains vigilant against it. It's spammy and off-putting, and I refuse to participate. 🙅🏻‍♀️

In summary, here are my non-negotiables for following:

1. Avoid promoting hate.
2. Don’t depend on AI for your writing.
3. Stay clear of scammy practices.

I don’t believe these requests are unreasonable. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thank you for reading!

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© 2024 Karen Akins

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