Give Your Head a Wobble: Why You Need to Leave Legacy Platforms Before They Devour You Whole

Let’s cut through the bullshit.

If you’re still using X, Facebook, or Instagram and wondering why no one sees your posts anymore, here’s why: you’re not shouting into the void. You’re shouting into a machine designed to ignore you.

Every post you make on legacy platforms is content for an algorithm that doesn’t serve you, doesn’t care about you, and doesn’t reward you unless you pay or provoke.

And worse: by staying, you’re helping that system thrive.

This Isn’t a Vibe Shift — It’s a Moral Choice

You might think you’re just using a free website. But what you’re actually doing is feeding an engine that profits from hate, grief, outrage, and manipulation.

Every click, every scroll, every comment — even your silence — is data. It’s revenue. It’s helping a tech billionaire weaponise attention.

And while you’re posting about your launch or your grief or your small press project, you’re sitting in a feed that pushes fascists, trolls, conspiracy theorists, and sponsored scams into every second post.

So let’s not pretend we’re neutral. You’re either helping build something better, or you’re helping maintain something broken.

It’s Personal — And It Should Be

Let me be absolutely clear, I didn’t leave because engagement was down.

I left because someone in my town, under the influence of hate-fuelled content on X, murdered children.

That happened last summer. On my doorstep. In Southport.

My younger brother was one of the first responders who stopped the killer. He and two others physically intervened. They saved lives.

Let that sink in.

While Twitter/X was platforming hate for clicks, a man consumed that hate and committed an atrocity. Real violence, fuelled by digital poison.

If you think being “online” is harmless — you’re wrong. If you think posting your poetry next to that kind of content doesn’t matter — you’re wrong.

You’re not fighting from within. You’re feeding it.

I left, because how could I not?

The Decay Is Everywhere — And You Know It

You used to use those platforms every day. You were active. Present. Creative.

Now? You log in once or twice a week. You post “just in case.” You share the same content across three channels because you hope one of them might work.

But let me ask you something: If those platforms were still any good, wouldn’t you still be there all the time?

You already know the answer.

You’re not using them like you used to because they’re no longer fit for purpose. You’re holding on to a version of them that doesn’t exist anymore. And in doing so, you’re diluting your voice.

You’re giving your best work to an ecosystem that punishes it. That buries it. That commodifies it. That radicalises strangers while shadowbanning your links.

So give your head a wobble. Ask yourself what you’re still doing there.

Bluesky Isn’t Perfect — But It’s Honest

I moved to Bluesky because I needed a platform that didn’t treat me like bait.

It’s still small. Still growing. But it offers something no legacy platform can anymore:

• Feeds you curate. No algorithm. No gamified engagement.
• Community without compromise. You want poets? Pin a poetry feed.
• Reciprocity. Reposts and replies are the currency, not hollow likes.
• No ads. No bots. No hate amplified for revenue.

Bluesky doesn’t bury your links. It doesn’t penalise you for promoting others. It doesn’t pitch your grief next to clickbait.

And most of all, it rewards presence over polish. You don’t have to go viral. You just have to show up.

Here’s What I Did — And What You Can Do Too

– I deleted legacy social apps from my phone.

Because if you want change, you have to change what you give your attention to.

– I built a real profile on Bluesky.

Optimised images. Short, punchy bio. Linktree. Cross-tagged personal and press accounts.

– I started with my people.

Found the folks I knew from elsewhere. Asked for starter packs. Built outward.

– I committed to it.

Not “when I remember.” Not “every now and then.” I post. I repost. I reply. I engage.

– I made platform-specific content.

Not recycled. Not half-arsed. Threads. Drafts. Real-time thoughts. Behind-the-scenes stuff. Bluesky-first.

If You’re Still Hesitating — Let Me Say This

You’re not alone in feeling disillusioned. But there’s another way.

Here’s what Bluesky gives you:

– A space that doesn’t punish you for being generous.

– A feed where your community actually sees your posts.

– A culture where smaller is stronger — and early adopters shape the space.

– A timeline without sponsored crypto bros under your poetry thread.

– A place to build, not survive.

And here’s the kicker: the longer you wait, the harder it gets to catch up. Join now, and your voice helps shape the platform. Wait too long, and you’re inheriting someone else’s culture.

It’s Not About Being First. It’s About Being Ready.

2026 is coming. Tech is changing fast. The platforms you’re clinging to? They’re already in decline.

You can either go down with them, or you can do the harder, better thing: start building elsewhere. Join the community that’s already doing the work.

Because this isn’t just about you. It’s about all of us.

Every poet, every artist, every press that joins Bluesky makes the creative ecosystem stronger. Every time you leave a toxic platform, you’re voting with your time, your talent, your soul.

Make the Move. You’re Ready.

So if you’re tired of watching your reach collapse, tired of sorting through filth to find joy, tired of seeing hate amplified while art is throttled — know this:

You don’t have to stay.

There is a community waiting for you. There are readers, writers, and real people eager to connect, to create, to collaborate without being punished for it.

You just have to let go.

Let the old systems rot. They’re not for you anymore.

Come build something better.

We’re already here.