Follow for follow in its original form wasn’t always a scheme. Though it has long been as you say, a mechanism for gaining a “status" so account owners can effectively sell thier audience to businesses looking to promote. Micro-Influencers is the lingo, but even that’s disappearing (a slow shifting but it’s happening).

The paradigm is shifting in the follow for follow areas now too. Where the younger generations who grew up on social media very much understand how true engagement is the path to enriching each other.

TikTok is the place where this is happening the most intensely, where creators have been making on all the other platforms for years and in a few weeks see followings increase at alarming rates and suddenly be in the realm of making job quittable incomes. Other creators support each other in these growths often working together to lift each other’s reach and metrics.

No one really judges others for caring about metrics, as long as the work towards growing metrics is honest and true.

The term to describe what looks like the follow for follow crowd is “clout-chaser" which really means someone who dishonestly chases trends, or isn’t true to themselves.

Basically what I’m saying is that more and more authenticity is the major key, and melded with that people are spending thier time like money towards the authenticity, and that’s changing lives. The things that have happened due to this is unreal.

I believe Medium has this capacity too. If all of us really focus on engaging in the ways that are most relevant to supporting and enriching each others success, in turn that would also support Medium because it creates real caring and community that people will want to be a part of even for a membership price.

Sorry for the target, the writing just inspired the thoughts and sharing is important. 🙂