Repeat after me: I am not a number

Stop checking your likes, follows, claps and snaps

I’m not sure if Facebook (now Meta) was the first company to create the thumbs-up like button. But every heart, follow, view or other type of counter on a post soon followed.

The number of views a video has and the popularity of the creator that posted it sometimes don’t match up.

The internet is a curious universe, and you cannot force your content to ‘go viral’. What is valuable is answering people’s questions and offering advice when they search for it.

Even if something does get a lot of attention, it doesn’t mean it’s worth that attention. Think about that for a moment.

Avoid the internet becoming a black hole where your time gets sucked up because you believe that you need to see what other people have seen.

There’s no reason to keep promoting old content that was once popular. Yet the algorithms created by media companies seem hooked on how long you’ve spent watching something. And whether or not you took the time to like or comment on it.

You should find solace in the knowledge that you are not a number. You are not an accumulation of a basket of likes or the number of followers you have.

You are you and nobody can change that but you.

Now get off your screen and go stretch, drink some water and write down a few goals you want to achieve.

Get in touch with that person you meant to have a catch-up coffee with.

Don’t chase numbers, chase experiences and connections with people to create memories and build your life.