Choosing the media over the social
We may not like the experience we get on social media - but are we asking it to be different?
In community, we often repeat the same problem.
We want things we don't support.
Like visibility without interacting, sales without trust, or talking to meet expectations instead of giving a damn.
Decades ago, I lived in Glebe. The Valhalla was one of my favourite cinemas. I went there a lot, especially for arthouse or anime. I protested its closing.
There we stood, the protesters and I, feeling very emotional about the closure. As we protested, I thought I'd kill the boredom by discussing films.
The more I talked, the more it dawned on me. Many of the protesters hadn't attended an event or seen a film in YEARS. Some said they didn't enjoy film but liked the building or the idea of the venue in their suburb.
I found a few cinephiles in the bunch. But I already recognised them, I knew their taste. It was easy to spot the same handful of people outdoors instead of a largely empty cinema.
I couldn't ignore it any longer.
This wasn't action. It was aspiration.
I made my excuses to the protesters and went home.
LinkedIn (social media in general) can be a lot like that.
We turn up to see what's happening, tsk, tsk, and protest the people or the algorithm. But we don't support the content we want to see. We don't give the time, money, or attention to what deserves it.
Heck, we even argue with the stuff that we don't want to see, and wonder why we're swimming in trash.
We also let self-doubt rule the equation.
You can see that whenever someone relies too heavily on AI to write their content. Or if the templates and formulas are showing.
You can hear it in the sing-song tone of voice. That jarring swing from professional sales voice to authentic human, the disconnect between planned and unscripted content.
Or there is a massive spurt of activity followed by silence. Trying to turn on relationship like it were a tap, only to get frustrated when nothing trickles.
And that's why we're surrounded by people who are walking sandwich boards for what ChatGPT seems to think looks like self-promotion and marketing.
We're not confidently talking about ourselves as professionals.
I don't want to get to the point where I have to write:
"Algorithm, show me all the people who aren't here to flog me a reality TV show lifestyle centred on the panic felt in late stage capitalism."
But I do want to find the people who care. So, I'm getting proactive.
Image: front steps of the Valhalla back in the day.
How can you do that on a community level?
1. Checking the BIO and ABOUT - are you mentioning what to expect from you? Are you delivering it in your posts?
2. Checking your interactions - are you mixing it with people you're learning from, or are you on a praise & pillow fluff binge?
3. Checking your posts - does your personality shine through, or could your post be from anyone in your field?
4. Checking your advocacy - are you truly solving problems and advocating or rehashing common issues for SEO buzz and to seem clever?
Who's with me?
This one actually hits pretty hard because it’s calling out a real issue—people want social media to be better, but they don’t actually engage with the content that makes it better. We complain about algorithms but still doom-scroll, interact with stuff we hate, and ignore the creators we actually like.
The Valhalla cinema analogy is solid. It’s like when people get nostalgic about early YouTube or Tumblr but never actually show up for indie creators today. The internet is shaped by what we support, and if all we do is dunk on AI-generated fluff and influencer hustle culture, but don’t engage with the stuff we claim to want, nothing changes.
Also, the AI content bit is on point. You can always tell when someone’s post is just ChatGPT sales-speak with a sprinkle of “authenticity.” The real problem isn’t AI itself—it’s that people don’t trust their own voice enough to just say what they mean.
The takeaway? If you want a better internet, be intentional. Actually comment on posts that resonate, support creators who make cool stuff, and stop engaging with content you think is trash. Otherwise, social media just becomes a never-ending doom loop of engagement bait and corporate noise.
A great reminder - thank you.