FRIDAE TV (Fridaeverse)

Social media platforms have long been marketed as tools of empowerment—promising visibility, connections, and, for businesses and influencers, financial opportunities. But the harsh truth is that while these platforms can give you a taste of fame or engagement, the real winners are the app owners and CEOs profiting from your participation. Here’s a deeper look at why social media is not the money-maker it claims to be, why blue verification checks are irrelevant, and why you’re better off investing in your own online space.

The Revenue Divide: Who’s Actually Making Money?

The business model of social media platforms is simple: they make money from you. Your time, attention, and data are the products being sold to advertisers. You think your fave celebrity like Selena Gomez has real followers? Granted I’m sure there are a few but majority are bought, just like people have been doing for years on twitter and now, TikTok gives you the option to promote your content and buy more followers. Every time you post, comment, or scroll, you’re contributing to the platform’s bottom line.

Here’s how it works:

Ad Revenue: Social media apps generate billions of dollars in ad revenue annually. You may get a slice of the pie through monetized content, but the vast majority of earnings go to the platform owners. For example, in 2024, Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram) reported over $100 billion in ad revenue. How much of that went to creators? A minuscule fraction.

Pay-to-Play Systems: Platforms entice users with paid tools like promoted posts, ads, and subscription features such as Twitter’s (now X) blue verification check. The promise? Increased visibility. The reality? Even after paying, algorithms can still throttle your reach if your content doesn’t align with the platform’s agenda. This makes the investment risky and often unprofitable. I had tried this with both Twitter and Instagram and both failed miserably due to the fact that my content is often spiritually focused philanthropic philosophy and all I have been doing since I joined social media is advocating for human rights, aside from sharing the often attempted duplication of my art work by corporate artists, without any creativity flow.

Creator Funds and Revenue Sharing: While some platforms offer creator programs, these payouts are notoriously low. For example, TikTok creators often report earning just a few dollars per 1,000,000 views, while the platform generates significantly more from the ads shown on those same videos. However, the downfall is, not all countries are able to or eligible to join the creators fund, even if they meet the stringent requirements. The control is in the hands of the algorithms & “community guidelines” as to who benefits from this. Most of the platforms like TikTok are pushing its users to promote their own videos. Basically paying to make TikTok money while they dont qualify. Such a scam, that’s why I have refrained from posting longer format or more informative content on those platforms. My website is here with an abundance of various articles.

The Myth of Blue Verification Checks

The blue check mark, once a symbol of credibility, has now become a paid feature on many platforms. But does it translate to real value?

•Irrelevant for Engagement: Paying for verification doesn’t guarantee that your content will reach your target audience or even any of your followers. Algorithmic throttling remains a barrier, making the blue check more of a vanity purchase than a business tool and had absolutely no difference in viewership numbers. Before Musk took over twitter, I was hitting 10 million views a day. When he changed the algorithm, he ruined the traffic flow and sabotaged my reach as well as many others redirecting our traffic to himself. A lawsuit I may pursue, the evidence is damning for Musk.

•Lost Credibility: The blue check used to signify that a public figure or business was authentic. Now, anyone with a credit card can purchase it, diluting its significance and reducing its value as a trust marker.

•No Protection from Censorship: Despite paying for verification, users can still be shadowbanned, flagged, or even removed from platforms for vague or arbitrary reasons.

Algorithms: The Invisible Gatekeepers

Algorithms are the engines that drive social media. They decide what content gets seen and by whom. While the platforms insist that these algorithms are neutral, they’re anything but:

• Bias For Big Spenders: Platforms favor users who spend heavily on ads, meaning organic growth is becoming nearly impossible for smaller creators or businesses.
• Content Suppression: Even if you pay for ads or verification, the platform can suppress your reach if your content doesn’t align with their guidelines or revenue goals.
• Unpredictable Changes: Algorithms are constantly evolving, making it hard to build a sustainable strategy. A tweak in the algorithm can render months or years of effort useless overnight.

The Mental Health Cost

Social media’s impact on mental health is well-documented, with studies linking its use to anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. But why is this happening?

•Comparison Culture: The curated lives of others create unrealistic standards, leading to feelings of inadequacy.

•Addictive Design: Features like endless scrolling and push notifications are designed to keep you hooked, often at the expense of your well-being.

•Trolls and Harassment: The anonymity of social media enables toxic behavior, creating hostile environments for many users. Everything you see on social media is fake. That’s not real life, from cars to trips people have been caught photoshopping their life or living beyond their means and in their cars, with crippling debt to feel validated and valued by strangers. At the end of the day, Elon Musk is just like the masses of oligarch cultists, not like you. He wants to be worshipped like some messiah. All he’s done has used his Dads money wisely and neglect his 45 kids.

Why Owning Your Online Space is Better

Instead of investing time and money into platforms that don’t have your best interests at heart, consider building your own online space.

1. Full Control: With your own website, message board, or chat features, you control the rules, algorithms, and user experience. This is where I would plug my website host but I’m trying to divorce the company for being fascist Zionists and promote genocide.

2. Sustainable Business: Unlike social media, where your reach can be limited or monetized unpredictably, your website offers direct access to your audience.

3. Better Mental Health: By moving away from the pressure cooker environment of social media, I can foster more meaningful and positive interactions in person than those catfish profiles and empty words online.

4. Data Ownership: On your own platform, you own your data and can protect your audience’s privacy.

5. Longevity: Social media trends and platforms come and go, but your website is a long-term investment.

Conclusion: Social Media Is Not Worth It

While social media can offer short-term visibility or engagement, it’s a losing game for most users. The platforms are designed to enrich their owners, not you. Paying for features like verification or ads often yields little return, while the mental health costs of constant engagement are significant. It’s another way for these corporations to control the narratives. That’s why they try to suppress certain content, from the masses and control the media’s narrative, to make their PR squeaky clean. Any negativity affects their bottom line and at the end of the day, these people don’t care about you or your mental health. They’ve been happily profiting, draining and causing it to become fragile trash because you won’t fight back, if you’re mentally impaired. Exactly what Capitalism wants, for you to end up completely complacent with their dysfunctional system.

The solution? Take back control. Build your own online space, like I have had in my various Fridaeverse incarnations since 2006, before social media deceptions and popularity contests. With your own platform, you can connect with your audience without interference from algorithms or corporate thirst. Social media may be ubiquitous, but it doesn’t have to control your narrative—or your wallet. Be the change you seek!—Good Fridae