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X or Y’, I ought to ‘include more of this and that,’ or simply ‘LOL’.Surely, I'm not the only one to have experienced this?<h1 id="bcdb">So, why am I changing the way I write on Medium?</h1>Logging on and reading messages that are attempting to mansplain my own articles to me or leaving, quite frankly, rude messages on my posts were making me feel increasingly frustrated.This is not why I chose to write on Medium. Of course, any sharing online is open to negativity and critique, and I can take that, as long as the feedback is constructive and not just a chance to take a pop at someone.I realised that if wanted to stay on Medium and keep writing, something that I love to do, I had to change a few things. I want Medium to remain my happy place, where I can interact with like-minded readers and writers across the globe.Therefore, I have decided I will no longer write so much about my YouTube side income. I will change the angle of my stories so they’re less about <a href="https://themakingofamillionaire.com/heres-how-you-can-get-monetized-on-youtube-in-2022-6dd646df417d">money and YouTube subscribers </a>and more about <a href="https://bettermarketing.pub/3-simple-tips-to-make-an-appealing-pitch-to-editors-bcb15eb16edb?source=your_stories_page----------------------------------------">strategy</a>, editing, <a href="https://themakingofamillionaire.com/why-working-at-a-startup-was-the-best-thing-i-did-for-my-career-17d8c6d973bf">career options</a>, and <a href="https://readmedium.com/the-realities-of-moving-and-living-abroad-a-personal-perspective-8c35d7d0f124?source=your_stories_page----------------------------------------">lifestyle</a> choices.I want to spend my time on Medium enjoying other people’s work, not feeling barraged by comments that often repeat what I’ve alre

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ady said in my article but in a condescending tone. This is one of the reasons why I’m trying to train myself to <a href="https://readmedium.com/why-notifications-will-be-the-death-of-your-writing-career-db3802311eb2?source=your_stories_page----------------------------------------">stop checking my notifications so often.</a>I miss the days of receiving welcomed feedback, constructive criticism and words of encouragement. Now I’m apprehensive to click the little green circle in case I’m inundated with patronizing comments again.Is Medium really as toxic as I seem to have been exposed to? Or have I just been unlucky?<h1 id="f8c7">Is the future toxic on Medium?</h1>I am well aware that this is the way of the world and in the increasingly online world, people can easily hide behind screens and say whatever they feel.My advice? Think before you comment. If it’s not constructive criticism you’re offering and just a snide remark then what can the writer actually do? Sure, it might give a thrill but a lot of the time writers look through comments and spot these things, and it doesn’t reflect well. If you don’t agree with someone’s story then move on and read something else.Thinking about the way people comment comes back to a theory I mentioned in my article about <a href="https://readmedium.com/why-only-a-few-make-money-on-medium-2e0fb7c3b118?source=your_stories_page----------------------------------------">why only a few writers make money on Medium</a>; I often wonder if the platform is full of writers and not readers. I haven’t seen any stats to prove this point but it could explain why there appears to be a lot of competitiveness.I’d love to know, have you had similar experiences of being mansplained to on Medium? If so, has it had an impact on what you’ve chosen to write about?</article></body>

Why I’m Changing My Medium Writing Strategy

Mansplainers > Constructive feedback

I’ve only been writing on Medium for about six months and was close to quitting recently.

I started off posting about my experiences of working in Europe and startup life and sprinkled in some poetry for good measure.

Then, I tried something different from my usual stories. I started to write about my side hustle on YouTube.

One of my articles about my YouTube channel took off on the algorithm and since then, I’ve experienced a flurry of responses, claps, and a few followers. I’m thankful for them, but I was not prepared for the backlash or interactions that would follow as I had never experienced this when I was writing poetry and ‘expat’ content.

It felt like I had crossed over into another realm!

I’d gone from receiving welcomed creative critiques from other poetry and short-form writers to people telling me I should ‘have more credibility,’ I ‘should say X or Y’, I ought to ‘include more of this and that,’ or simply ‘LOL’.

Surely, I'm not the only one to have experienced this?

So, why am I changing the way I write on Medium?

Logging on and reading messages that are attempting to mansplain my own articles to me or leaving, quite frankly, rude messages on my posts were making me feel increasingly frustrated.

This is not why I chose to write on Medium. Of course, any sharing online is open to negativity and critique, and I can take that, as long as the feedback is constructive and not just a chance to take a pop at someone.

I realised that if wanted to stay on Medium and keep writing, something that I love to do, I had to change a few things. I want Medium to remain my happy place, where I can interact with like-minded readers and writers across the globe.

Therefore, I have decided I will no longer write so much about my YouTube side income. I will change the angle of my stories so they’re less about money and YouTube subscribers and more about strategy, editing, career options, and lifestyle choices.

I want to spend my time on Medium enjoying other people’s work, not feeling barraged by comments that often repeat what I’ve already said in my article but in a condescending tone. This is one of the reasons why I’m trying to train myself to stop checking my notifications so often.

I miss the days of receiving welcomed feedback, constructive criticism and words of encouragement. Now I’m apprehensive to click the little green circle in case I’m inundated with patronizing comments again.

Is Medium really as toxic as I seem to have been exposed to? Or have I just been unlucky?

Is the future toxic on Medium?

I am well aware that this is the way of the world and in the increasingly online world, people can easily hide behind screens and say whatever they feel.

My advice? Think before you comment. If it’s not constructive criticism you’re offering and just a snide remark then what can the writer actually do? Sure, it might give a thrill but a lot of the time writers look through comments and spot these things, and it doesn’t reflect well. If you don’t agree with someone’s story then move on and read something else.

Thinking about the way people comment comes back to a theory I mentioned in my article about why only a few writers make money on Medium; I often wonder if the platform is full of writers and not readers. I haven’t seen any stats to prove this point but it could explain why there appears to be a lot of competitiveness.

I’d love to know, have you had similar experiences of being mansplained to on Medium? If so, has it had an impact on what you’ve chosen to write about?