The response to the arrest of Pavel Durov. “It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform.” Sound familiar? Sound like most Tech Bros? Even after being outed for sparking a genocide or purposely targeting pre-teen girls for ad revenue? Even after purposely promoting disinformation for personal profit? This is the world we live in. But before I go any further, I want to profess my interest in the technology that allowed these folks to do what they do.
The tech BEHIND this stuff is astounding.
Fascinating, life-changing, which is why so many of us give them a pass for unconscionable behavior, constant lies, and the massive amounts of damage they do the world at large. Tech addiction is real. The list of Tech Bros who have gone to prison is long and distinguished and covers industries like health care, transportation, security, finance, and the list continues to grow. And the ones who have yet to see a prison cell wield so much power they, mostly likely, never will. (It helps when congress is so old they don’t understand much.)
Most association with their networks is based on laziness and physical addiction. How many photographers have come to me over the past decade, as the industry crumbled around them, asking my advice about how to move forward. “Get off the networks, build your own ecosystem,” is the exact piece of advice I gave to every single one of these inquiries. Every single one. And how many chose to follow this advice? Mabye 1%. That 1% is KILLING IT, but this is no reflection of me. This is a reflection of what I observed around me.
I have no stake in the game.
I quit photography in 2010, something that my detractors never seem to fully comprehend. When I left photography, and it’s narrow creative scope, I was suddenly able to step back and see the entire creative industry, not just photography. I realized several things. Compared to other genres in the creative industry, photographers were way behind. They weren’t way behind in making pictures, not at all. In fact, good photography was on the rise. The percentage of great photography, however, remained the same or perhaps fell a bit.
Photographers were behind in their knowledge of the greater creative community and lacked knowledge, interest, and understanding of how the industries were related. (I heard this same ideology reflected by designers in Europe, US, Australia who said “We don’t really want to work with photographers.” Some, not all. Relax snowflakes.)Designers, artists, illustrators, authors, etc. These folks seemed to have a cross-genre understanding that photographers lacked.
I also realized how demoralizing social media had become. Instagram, the most perfectly designed weapon I have ever seen, wiped out many of the world’s best photographers, preying on their ego and insecurity and turning many of them into skittish creatures unable to hold eye contact or a conversation while desperately clutching for their phone. “Checking the feed, or “flow” became a nonstop, daily activity that turned them inside out. Gone was original work and thinking. In was following along.
Photography replaced by content. Authentic humans turned into phony, 24/7 marketing machines. (“I’m so blessed to do this job.”) Sadly, there is a sizable list of photographers I no longer communicate with because when I’m communicating I’m not actually with them. I’m with their Instagram feed. “Have you seen this?” “Have you seen this?” “No, sorry, I’m not on Instagram.” “Have you seen this?” “Have you seen this?” LAME. BYE, BYE. Life is too short, and there are too many interesting folks who aren’t at the mercy of a social feed.
When Tech Bros, or their representatives, say these things it is because they know the power they hold over the population. It must be a God-like feeling to get up in the morning looking out at the scorched Earth you helped create knowing how helpless the public is. Knowing that if someone pulled Facebook, Instagram, X, Telegram, or TikTok they would be rudderless, directionless, and nonfunctional. The Bros have more money than some countries, more than you could spend in a hundred lifetimes, and it’s still not enough. So, the next time you are “scrolling rando” claiming this is somehow tied to your “work,” or you find yourself raging over some political thing you think is real, just know the Tech Bros thank you for your continued support.
Comments 12
Been social media free for 4 years now…aside from YouTube(and pinterest because food recipes). Best decision I ever made.
Author
Since 2014 for me. Life on the outside is way better.
I got back on IG in February to promote a couple of exhibitions that I was a part of, not to post work or follow on it. Ironically, at least fifty percent of the local people following me never saw the posts about the exhibitions. I left it up to provide a link to my website, should anyone happen to stumble on my instagram. And occasionally I do get traffic to my site from IG, so what the heck.
Author
It’s the part about the parent company promoting genocide and purposely targeting pre teen girls that was more than I could take. Not to mention watching it ruin many of the best photographers I knew. There are other ways to market, better ways, that work as a long term play.
And you are right of course, I had better luck sending out postcards to my contact list.
Author
There you go. Personal. Real people, not bots and strangers filtered through IG’s marketing algo.
I just re-joined IG (after nine years and I wasn’t active there back then either) a couple weeks ago. Not to start posting but to keep track of where I might be tagged (I’m a freelance musician). Hundreds of my friends are on IG so naturally I clicked “follow” on dozens of profiles right away. Or at least I tried…. because in just a couple minutes Instagram suspected I’m using bots or otherwise trying to gain following in an unaccepted way and they suspended my account for a week. No reply to my messages trying to sort things out. Well, my temporary suspension ended today, and when I logged in after a week I was immediately greeted with “give permission to use all your data for any marketing purposes we want or pay €9,90 per month” – and I had to choose one even to just go to my settings to delete my profile. Never again. Never, ever. Facebook is next, as soon as I’ve managed to collect contact info from some friends I’ve only connected with via FB. Jeez… not only are these social media platforms pure evil, they flat out don’t even work as intended! I’m so glad to let go of all these (un)social media.
“There are other ways to market, better ways, that work as a long term play.” Sometime maybe could you expand on this? Thanks!
Author
Ecosystem. I’ll keep talking about it.
Author
It’s a hot mess and the ROI is tanking. Not worth anything at this point. And even those I know who are “successful” with it are miserable at what they have to do.
I’m still on IG and have recently enlisted to your blog. You speak the truth as for myself I’m always posting and hoping to grow my fallowing with absolute disappointment. As a result it has been destroying my self worth as a human on this planet. This is a toxic place so like you I’m trying to start a blog as a place to tell my stories behind my images from my years as a photojournalist. Done with fire, heart and claps meaningless shallow emoji’s. Thank you for shinning a light on this horrific obsession.
Author
It’s too late. IG is over. It’s been over for years. There is no way to game the algo now. It’s too late for TikTok as well.