Social Media – I’m at once speechless and shocked. Still, I need to say something. This blog post will likely be a bit different than expected.
„Insects... don't have politics. They're very... brutal. No compassion, no compromise. We can't trust the insect.“ Seth Brundle, The Fly
When you think it can’t get any worse…
Like every morning, I open Instagram, and the first thing I see is Elon Musk doing the Hitler salute. WHAT??? Seriously? The second shock followed immediately: a female artist known for addressing inappropriate comments was temporarily banned for responding to a comment with a differing opinion. No insults, no curse words. Meanwhile, TikTok pushing Trump ads to its users feels like just a minor footnote.
Four (three) of the major social networks are becoming playgrounds for right-wing extremists and misogynists. Zuckerberg has now allowed on Meta to talk about women as objects and property. Naturally, this means that loud and strong women are being censored. So, grab your mascara and lipstick, rush to the surgeon’s office, and if you want to say something, make sure it’s quiet and submissive – otherwise, your content might not be shown much longer.
How can we become independent of social media?
This is all deeply disturbing, and the first impulse (at least for me) is to quit and have nothing more to do with this mess. I’ve already left X. But many influencers, artists, and small businesses have built their livelihoods on these platforms over the years. While there are alternatives, they’re not yet large enough to support these smaller ventures.
I’m currently trying out new approaches, but even those still rely on social media. Whatever you do today, promotion on these platforms has become a necessity, which makes this entire situation so insidious. Instagram in particular presented itself as young and woke, only to reveal its true colors now that the timing feels right. Many content creators can’t afford to disappear right now. Neither can I – and that makes me soooo angry. But we can START planning NOW to break free from these mega-corporations in the future.
What are the alternatives to X, Meta & Co?
In my opinion, real alternatives don’t yet exist. As users, we can only wait and actively work to help other platforms grow and gain recognition.
YouTube, as the second-largest platform, is a genuine alternative. YouTube Shorts can be a substitute for Meta Reels. Bluesky is a Twitter-like format that I’ve just joined, with 25 million users, it’s still in its early days. Additionally, there are platforms like Patreon, Vevo, and Substack, where creators can be supported directly. Pinterest seems to work for some, though I’ve only used it for inspiration so far. There are plenty of smaller sites that haven’t gained traction yet. Maybe that will change now.
The best scenario, of course, is for friends & customers to visit your own website. This can be done through newsletters, blogs, and/or podcasts. However, you still have to make a deal with the devil and promote these formats on the major platforms.
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