Warning: Trying too hard to chime in at a party taught me a social media lesson

I was at a friend's BBQ last weekend, and a small group was deep in a talk about local trails. I didn't know the trails, but I wanted to be part of the chat. So I kept adding small comments like 'oh yeah' or 'sounds steep,' just to show I was listening. It was so clear I had nothing real to add. The conversation just kind of moved away from me. Later, it hit me that my Instagram posts were doing the same thing. I was using popular hashtags I didn't care about, just to be seen. The algorithm probably felt that same lack of real interest. Now I only tag things that actually fit the photo, and my real posts for my hiking group get way more likes. The key is to join the talks you actually belong in, online and off.

3 comments

3 Comments

the_caleb1mo ago

Mount Rainier taught me to jump into new trail talks.

lewis.kim1mo ago

Absolutely! There's something about being on a trail that just makes strangers open up. Maybe it's the shared effort, or that we all feel small under a big mountain.

murphy.linda1mo ago

Lewis.kim has a point about trails, but honestly who over thinks a BBQ chat that hard. Maybe just chill instead of treating every talk like some big life lesson.

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