Chapter 1: The Dangers of Social Media

In a recent experience, I was on the verge of subscribing to X Premium, but I had a change of heart after facing harassment from its AI system. While discussing insights from an impressive Medium article by Dr. Mehmet Yildiz—who ironically recommended X Premium—I found my account locked, causing me to lose all my followers. This incident exemplifies the troubling nature of AI bullying.

Years ago, I shut down all my thriving social media profiles—YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter—because they became detrimental to my mental health. In my narrative, "Gaming, Fun, and Humor: The Lifelines That Rescued Me From Social Media's Grip on My Life," I recounted my tumultuous journey as a filmmaker, media consultant, and content creator. After experiencing viral success, I was confronted with the negative aspects of social media, such as harsh criticisms and personal attacks.

The pressure to maintain an online presence negatively affected my mental and physical health, leading to a night of desperation fueled by a misguided pursuit of fame. This prompted me to reassess my values and reconnect with what truly matters—meaningful interests and relationships. My story serves as a warning about the hidden costs of seeking social media validation and the necessity of achieving life balance.

I have since redefined my approach to social media—not out of resentment, but through careful reflection. I maintain modest profiles on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and LinkedIn, using them with greater intention.

Instead of fixating on follower numbers, I focus on organic growth, welcoming those who genuinely connect with my stories and blog posts. I’ve created a personal website and a small Substack to engage a devoted audience.

However, recently, my Medium articles ceased to circulate, and my once-thriving account, which previously attracted 1,000 to 3,000 followers, now garners no attention. Furthermore, Medium terminated my boost nomination contract, even though I met the criteria with 113 boosted stories over five months.

Consequently, I lost 90% of my income, which I can handle, but now my stories average only about ten views through direct links. This reality is disheartening for an aspiring writer. Even my most popular pieces, such as introductions I crafted for established writers like Karen Goldfarb or Douglas Kwon, receive minimal organic traffic.

Here’s a screenshot illustrating that most views come from ILLUMINATION, which earned less than $2, and the rest from X, where readers couldn’t engage with my work.

I doubt that many writers, including myself, can monetize content on this platform. Even a scholarly piece by Dr. Yildiz, who has far more followers than I do, only generated 77 cents. The silver lining is that I do not rely financially on Medium.

Nonetheless, I am baffled by Medium’s algorithm, which seems to suppress my writings. I consistently adhere to a principle of crafting positive content. Noticing many new writers facing similar struggles, I reached out to Dr. Mehmet Yildiz for advice, and following his guidance, I upgraded my Friends of Medium account.

After shifting my attention to Substack, I gained 287 subscribers, with two even volunteering to support my newsletter financially. It turns out there’s a life beyond Medium and Twitter—what a revelation!

Just days ago, Dr. Yildiz revealed that X Premium now permits full article publishing, similar to Medium or Substack. Initially skeptical, as X had previously limited my tweets to 300 characters, I was convinced after seeing his articles.

Curious, I started investing more time on X, albeit with caution, balancing it with my full-time job and significant volunteer commitments with ILLUMINATION as an editor, curator, and media coordinator.

I wrote about X when Elon Musk took over, and today Dr. Yildiz shared an incredible article that filled me with enthusiasm, prompting me to tweet excerpts from his piece. It’s remarkable how much we can now share on X!

However, after tweeting several excerpts from his heartfelt article, which I wanted my followers to explore via my Friends of Medium links, my account was unexpectedly blocked.

Experiencing such setbacks with social media is frustrating. Just a few days prior, Facebook suspended Dr. Yildiz’s long-standing account, which left me feeling disheartened. I had already stopped using Facebook entirely, opting to focus on X.

Ironically, I was about to upgrade to the $11 plan, inspired by Dr. Yildiz’s story, when the AI system failed to recognize the excerpts from the Medium article and bombarded me with questions. Although I answered correctly, the system insisted my responses were wrong, prompting me to retry.

If I were not human, how could I share curated excerpts from Medium? My account is solely focused on sharing content from Medium or Substack. I do not engage with other platforms frivolously, nor do I self-promote mindlessly. In the past two years, I organically garnered 1,031 followers, a stark contrast to my previous account, which I deleted after building thousands of followers through my former YouTube channel.

After several attempts, the system finally acknowledged my humanity. What a relief! Yet, as my friends jokingly speculate about my origins from Mars—hoping Elon Musk can transport me there someday—I remain skeptical.

On a serious note, upon checking my account, I discovered that all the people I followed had vanished, leaving me with a following count of zero, as depicted in the cover photo. This experience was disheartening, leading me to think, “Forget it, I’m not renewing today.” Consequently, I stepped away from X and chose to write this account to express my frustration and disappointment.

I’m still reflecting on this situation because I dislike being mistreated by AI systems. Such bullying can leave lasting emotional scars. Having endured bullying in primary school, this experience resonates deeply with me. Honestly, even if Elon Musk offered me $10,000, I wouldn’t upgrade to X Premium or purchase a Blue badge—these feel like mere marketing strategies to me—until he rectifies these issues.

Thank you for taking the time to read my account. What are your thoughts on this matter?

If you’re on Substack, you can share similar stories in our new publication called Substack on ILLUMINATION. Details are in the invitation.

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About Me

I write articles in my area of expertise, covering gaming, filmmaking, social media, and design. I am also a YouTuber. Thank you for subscribing to my account to receive notifications when I post on Medium. I created a new website to share my content for free and promote the stories of writers contributing to my publications on Medium. I also maintain a Substack newsletter. Let’s connect on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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The video titled "Twitter's New AI Is Borderline Illegal..." discusses the implications and potential issues surrounding AI technology on social media platforms.