SPAM OR FAKE?
Have you received notifications of such followers lately?
I was very frustrated!
There I was, the little notification bell ringing cheerfully on my social media account, signaling new followers – yay, right?
The thrill of connecting, the anticipation of engaging conversations, and the excitement of expanding my digital footprint.
I mean, who doesn’t love that ping of validation? But then, the disappointment set in.
It started subtly.
At first, a couple of new followers here and there, their profiles gleaming with blockchain buzzwords and crypto catchphrases.
I thought, “Okay, diversity in my follower base, that’s cool.”
But soon, the trickle became a flood.
My notifications were no longer about genuine connections or people interested in my content.
Instead, they were dominated by these crypto enthusiasts, or should I say, evangelists?
Don’t get me wrong – I understand that cryptocurrency is a hot topic.
It’s revolutionary, it’s reshaping finance, it’s… everywhere.
But when I checked these profiles, my heart sank a bit.
They were void of personality, mere shells pushing the latest in digital currency dogma.
No personal photos, no biographies, just a relentless stream of crypto content.
It felt like every notification was an invitation not to connect but to be converted.
To what, you ask? A believer in the unstoppable march of cryptocurrency, apparently.
What’s more, there seemed to be an unspoken expectation that I should follow back.
As if my digital endorsement was a given, just because they clicked ‘follow’ on my profile.
But follow back whom, exactly?
A faceless, impersonal account that offered me no glimpse of the person behind the crypto curtain? It felt like the social media equivalent of a cold call, and it left me cold indeed.
I began to miss the days when a new follower meant a potential new friend or at least someone genuinely interested in what I had to say.
I missed the diversity of content, the heartfelt personal story, the passionate hobbyist sharing their latest project.
Instead, my followers notification feed started to look like a ticker tape of the crypto stock exchange.
And the irony?
InMedium to escape the constant bombardment of impersonal marketing and targeted ads, seeking instead a semblance of genuine human connection.
Yet here I was, facing an onslaught of faceless, fervent crypto crusaders, all expecting me to join their ranks, read their gospel, and perhaps, invest my hard-earned money into their digital dream.
It’s not that I’m anti-crypto.
I’m not.
I respect innovation and the drive to create new paradigms.
But when the line between connection and marketing blurs, when every new follower is just another sales pitch in disguise, it’s hard not to feel a bit disillusioned.
It’s becoming an annoyance.
I yearn for the days when my follower list was a tapestry of diverse, colorful threads, each representing a unique individual with their own stories, interests, and perspectives.
Not just a sea of sameness, awash with the cold, hard sheen of cryptocurrency.
But here’s the thing – I still believe in the power of social media to forge genuine connections, to bridge divides, and to foster community.
So I won’t be deterred.
I’ll keep sifting through the crypto chaff, looking for those golden grains of true engagement.
Because at the end of the day, it’s those real, human connections that matter most to me.
And who knows?
Maybe some of those crypto enthusiasts are real people seeking genuine interaction, too.
How about you? Do you receive the same kind of followers too?
Dr. Mazlan Abbas 