Attention, not approval

I don’t keep in the habit of voicing my disagreements with anyone. And I will explain why. Of course I disagree with people, specially with what has been happening in the world. But honestly, I think that most public figures live off of the hate they instill in people. The moment you join in the argument, you loose, and they win. Nowadays they are looking for attention, not approval.

Attention, not approval, is the new currency

That happens because social media algorithms are built to foster hate and polarization. They reward engagement, specially emotional engagement, even if it’s at the expense of truth. Celebrities, politicians, influencers have realized this and, for getting notoriety, they often get involved in controversies. For public figures it’s better to be criticized than to be right. They manipulate the process to get attention. Notoriously, they intentionally offend or provoke. They know that criticism often amplifies their message, not weakens it.

Without knowing, we are helping them

Do you know what is the worst part of it? Even without knowing it, we are the ones helping them getting attention. So, think about what we would normally do when we feel the outrage that their declarations are intended to produce. First, we share their content to mock it. Unknowingly we immortalize their image through innumerable memes. Alternatively, we comment angrily, which boosts it in algorithms, in the end having the same effect. Finally, we talk about them with other users endlessly—even to disagree. That’s exactly what they want, and we fall in that trap.

What We Can Do Instead

To help us out, I’m sharing below some ideas of what we can do to make their life harder:

• Break the drama addiction: Step back from cycles of performative outrage.
• Starve them of attention: Don’t share, don’t comment, don’t name them unless necessary.
• Promote better voices: Share content that uplifts, educates, or offers thoughtful critique.
• Use platform tools: Block, mute, report—not to silence them but to remove the oxygen.
• Cultivate discernment: Teach others (especially kids) how to recognize manipulation.

I hope you did see that this is exactly what I did in this post. Although I was asked in the prompt to name the public person I most disagree with, I didn’t take the bait. I intentionally didn’t even name anyone. The prompt probably was intended for me to use it to voice my anger and outrage. But I don’t need that negativity in my life. I will not give platform for people that live off of the hate of other people.