Social media platforms like X, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok pretend to be neutral stages where creativity and connection thrive. In reality, they are shape-shifting corporations designed to extract attention, data, and money — with a shrugging denial whenever the consequences turn ugly.
In the UK, they’ve ducked age restrictions, served up sexualised content to minors, and defended their algorithms as if code can’t carry responsibility. The truth is simpler: these platforms are not broken; they work exactly as intended — to serve the plutocrats who own them. And yes, most users get defensive when this is pointed out, because admitting the trap means admitting time and energy wasted. But that’s precisely why a manifesto is needed: ten rules to ensure social media serves you rather than the other way round.
Why You Feel Defensive
If your first reaction is “but I need social media” or “that doesn’t apply to me”, that’s the algorithm talking. Platforms are designed to entangle your sense of identity and worth with their metrics — likes, follows, impressions. Challenging their role feels like a personal attack because they’ve blurred the line between you and them. Recognise that reflex, and you take back the first slice of control. Then pull the plug.
- Never build your house on rented land.
Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: they own the pipes, they own the eyeballs, they set the rules. Use them as a shop window, not as the shop. Your website and mailing list are your only real estate. - Post to your website first, social second.
Your site is the archive, the source, the reference. Social is just the postcard. If Instagram goes dark tomorrow, what survives? Only what you own. - Kill the dopamine loop.
Don’t chase likes, comments, follows. That’s fuel for the algorithm, not for your work. Decide in advance how much time you’ll spend on social, and stick to it like a diet. - Use social as a funnel, not a destination.
Every post should point somewhere that you control — a link to your site, your shop, your newsletter. Otherwise you’re just growing Zuckerberg’s pension pot. - Schedule, don’t scroll.
Batch your content creation, push it out, then get out. Scrolling is unpaid labour for the platform. Your attention is their product. - Never confuse reach with value.
Ten deep relationships in your inbox are worth more than a thousand likes from strangers who’ll never buy, visit, or support. Stop fetishising metrics that don’t convert. - Guard your IP.
Don’t give away your best ideas or full-fat content on someone else’s platform. Share teasers, fragments, conversations — but keep the substance on channels you own. - Don’t follow the trend, set the tone.
Algorithms reward conformity: trending sounds, trending formats, trending aesthetics. That’s not creativity, that’s servitude. Do the opposite: stand out, or don’t bother. - Treat social like a tool, not a friend.
It’s a hammer. It’s not your community, not your archive, not your therapist. Use it to knock in nails and then put it back in the toolbox. - Exit strategy first.
Assume every platform will betray you — by changing terms, throttling reach, or shutting down. Have a plan B: your email list, your own site, real-world community. Build those now, before you need them.
