Follows and Followers

　I'll immediately say: don't let the "funny numbers" under your Follow and Follower counters completely dictate you.

　I'm aware that a lot of people over the internet do use social media sites to boost their work. For those who do rely on impressions to earn their bread, I understand your need to monitor those numbers, and I wish you luck in your endeavors.

　However, this text is specifically aimed at hobbyists such as me. It's enticing to have an ever-increasing number of followers, I can't deny it. There's a strange joy that comes from numbers going up steadily.

　But I strongly believe that this causes more stress than it is worth. Social media is engineered to be as addicting as possible, by giving out "rewards" for the brain. We end up becoming conditioned to enjoy it, because that's what the successful accounts do.

　Now, I won't pretend that those metrics are completely useless either. If you have managed to accumulate a respectable amount of genuine followers, then you should use this for the betterment of your community.

　You may think that a couple hundred followers is a small number in the grand scheme of things, but imagine meeting all of them in person. This thought experiment will hopefully make you realize that your reach and influence is nothing to scoff at.

　So if you have a sizeable amount of followers, share the works of your friends who have fewer followers and praise them. Build a larger network and make them more well-known. Internet artists like us thrive and become motivated with the support of real human beings, so by fostering a more gentle and caring community, we can make the most of those metrics.

　It is about time we bring human interaction back into the internet.