My Case Against Social Media

Hi everyone!

For a while now I have been considering deleting all of my social media accounts. I hate social media culture, the competition for likes and followers, everyone pretending to be some “influencer”, paying for ads to beat the algorithm, etc. It creates an inauthentic environment for artists, forcing them to “conform” to the phony standards of internet culture. In reality, most people on social media are unlikely to make any major art purchases. People are there just to mindlessly consume viral trends and fads, they are not my audience. I’m not interested in going “viral” or having some quick-burning version of internet fame.

I just don’t see a purpose for sharing my art on social media anymore. Instagram censors my account, not sharing my art with anyone. My original goal was to reach a broader audience, but now that I’m shadow banned, what is the point of posting?

Leon and I discussed this a few days ago. He brought up the point that when your art is on social media, it’s too accessible. People can look at your art, for free, any time they want. There’s no incentive to buy a piece.

For these reasons, I decided to pull most of my work from all social media sites. I will no longer post my new work to Instagram, Threads, Flickr, or any other social media site. I will make exceptions for collaborations, commissions, or if the piece is being shared by a gallery or art group. I will still post stories (that are not permanent) to my Instagram occasionally, re-directing people to my website. My intention is to create a healthier artistic environment for myself, focusing on sharing my digital art in the physical realm at galleries, exhibitions, and art shows. I will continue being authentic to my own experience, and for now, that does not include social media.

As always, if you have any questions about a piece, commission, collaboration, or anything else, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Thank you all for your support.

———