Will the Real Medium Followers Please Stand Up

Summary

The author of the Medium article expresses frustration over the lack of genuine engagement from followers, many of whom seem to follow indiscriminately for reciprocity rather than interest in the content.

Abstract

The article titled "Will the Real Medium Followers Please Stand Up" reflects on the disheartening experience of receiving new follower notifications on Medium, which no longer bring joy but rather disappointment due to the lack of interaction from these followers. The author points out that despite having many followers, none of the recent ones have engaged with their work. This has led to a sense of being manipulated by users who follow in hopes of gaining follow-backs without any intention of reading or appreciating the content. The author feels that the platform prioritizes reciprocity over content quality, as evidenced by the success of recycled listicles and AI-generated articles, which receive significant engagement despite their lack of originality or depth. The situation has become so discouraging that the author contemplates leaving Medium for a platform where effort is met with genuine interest and engagement.

Opinions

The author initially found joy in new follower notifications but now views them as a sign of disingenuous engagement.
There is a perception that many followers, including those with suspicious profiles, are only interested in being followed back, not in the content itself.
The author feels that their work is being ignored, which is deeply discouraging and makes them feel manipulated.
The success of unoriginal content, such as recycled listicles, on Medium is seen as a clear indication that reciprocity trumps content quality.
The author is considering abandoning the platform due to the lack of genuine interaction with their writings.
There is a sense of frustration and vulnerability expressed over the current state of engagement on Medium.

A Medium Ultimatum

Photo of The Real Slim Shady music video edited by me

One of the most frustrating aspects of the Medium experience is just how few people care to read so much of what people share. With other apps, when someone follows you or sends you a friend request there’s at least some vague expectation that they might look at the things that you post. But Medium is different.

I’ve actually begun to dread these new follower notifications. When I first signed up for my account, these notifications were the sort of thing that drove me to keep writing. Now, they’re nearly enough to make me want to quit sometimes. After months I’ve come to the painful realization that absolutely none of the new people who follow me really care about the things that I write.

Of the last 100 people to follow me, not one single one has engaged with any of the content I’ve written. The worst offenders have been porn accounts or users with names like “Free Illuminati Agent+256775470251,0702963942.” It can be deeply discouraging to hope someone values what I’m writing and to see instead that I’m being recruited by some nefarious secret society.

When I visit each of these profiles, I find almost invariably that they’re just following some absurd number of people in the hopes that some may follow them back. It makes me feel as though I’m being manipulated. It makes me feel like I’m on a platform where no one cares to build a following the natural way. It makes me feel like I’m putting in way too much work for people who are just going to ignore it.

When I’ve addressed this subject before in the past I’ve tried to keep my tone light, but as this has continued I’ve really struggled to temper my frustrations. If even 1% of my followers engaged with the pieces that I wrote it would feel like an improvement.

I think I’d find greater success on Medium if I stopped putting thought into the pieces that I published and just substituted in Diana Meresc’s articles word for word. Seriously though, 2,000 claps on a 2 day old recycled listicle about “7 Bad Habits That Are Destroying Your Confidence”?? I know you people aren’t enjoying this AI drivel and for all of our sakes please stop pretending to.

It’s this sort of issue that makes it clear to me that success on Medium has far more to do with reciprocity than quality of content. It’s maddening. It’s enough to make me feel like finding a new platform. I’m putting in too much work to get one twentieth of the engagement of listicle-writing robots. I hope my luck on here changes soon because if it doesn’t I feel as though I won’t have any choice but to move on.

Sorry for the moment of vulnerability here and thanks for taking the time to read.