A Hypocritical Tidbit
When you can't beat 'em, join 'em
As a noted antagonist of social media and a staunch believer this horseshit technology has aided the destruction of Western civilization, you might then wonder why in the ever-loving fuck I'd rejoin Instagram.
I, too, concede this decision is as shockingly hypocritical as it is completely baffling.
That I make bad choices goes without saying: I've twice used my poor wife's body as a cloning vector. And let's not revisit the whole becoming a novelist during my midlife meltdown thing.
The reason is simple: I'm excited to be working with the Diverse Voices Book Review podcast and the program uses Instagram as a key social media channel. Having an account will thus allow me to assist with promotion and collaborate with potential guests.
But, to eliminate any lingering concerns about my sanity, let me make my feelings crystal clear: I wish Instagram nothing but the worst and hope the platform chokes to death on LLM-generated elephant dicks.
The platform's user interface sucks ass, its most popular content is grotesque, and the cowardly cuck at the helm could liquidate Instagram's parent company, donate all his wealth to charity, and commit seppuku at Fisherman's Wharf, and he'd still be running a karmic deficit.
Nonetheless, boycotting the platform, however principled, has too often proved counterproductive. I certainly don't want to be on Instagram, but everyone else is, and they're not going to leave, and that powerful network effect is why Big Tech is winning and democracy is cooked.
I can't stop the societal devolution, but at least now I can thank the generous readers who recommended Leverage and use the DM feature to network with likeminded creators.
Aside from podcast-related material, I'm still thinking about how much and what type of content I plan to post over the near-term. My primary objective is to use my account as an online business card and treat my following/follower list like a digital rolodex. That said, despite my aversion to social media, I have had success in the past, in particular with my gonzo TikTok marketing campaign. Plus, I'm a natural talker and—for a washed middle-aged dad—ruggedly handsome.
Whatever direction I take, I'd like to connect (or reconnect) with anyone who's active on the site. My handle is @amrangowani and my profile can be found HERE.
Note: Hilariously, Instagram's idiotic algorithms detest my user behavior—I've been following too many accounts too quickly, haven't yet posted any antisemitic memes, and, despite my tragic demographic, have failed to ogle any prepubescent girls. As a result, to keep the platform "safe" from dangerous weirdos like me, the algorithms keep temporarily suspending my account. I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry at this lunacy, but please know if I don't follow you back immediately I'll try as soon as I can.
