🧠 The Kindness Algorithm

I’ve been thinking about follows lately.
Who follows whom.
Who doesn’t.
Who shares, who scrolls, who sees you quietly and moves on.

Not in a bitter way, just a curious, slightly tender one.

Because social media, for those of us trying to share something we made (a book, a story, a handmade raccoon mask), can start to feel like shouting into a canyon. You press “post” and wait. Sometimes the echo comes back. Sometimes it doesn’t.

And you tell yourself not to care… but you do.
Because what you’re offering is not just content, it’s a little piece of your soul wrapped in a jpeg.

🤝 The Kindness Loop

When someone follows me, especially another small creator, I almost always follow back.
Not because I’m trying to game the system, but because it feels human.

It’s like someone tapping on your shoulder in a crowded room and saying, “Hey, I see you.”
And I want to say, “Hey, I see you too.”

Not everyone does this.
Some people keep their feeds curated like art galleries. Some are overstimulated and need silence. Some just… don’t think about it the same way. And that’s okay. That’s freedom.

But I think we’re lying, at least a little, if we say we never think about it.

🐘 The Follower Count in My Brain

Even big accounts check their stats.
Even people with hundreds of thousands of followers post and wait and hope and wonder, “Is this one going to hit?”

The truth is, no matter your size, if you're online and sharing part of yourself…
You’ve probably had these thoughts:

“Why didn’t they follow back?”
“Was it something I posted?”
“Does this even matter?”
“Should I stop?”
“What’s the point?”

It's the quiet math in the background of all our feeds.
The part nobody talks about, but nearly everyone carries.
And sometimes, especially for small creators, a single share can be the difference between a post disappearing or catching fire. Between being invisible and being known.

🚀 What a Single Share Can Do

I think about that sometimes. How one share from a bigger account could make a massive difference. Not out of ego or entitlement but out of reality. Visibility matters. Discovery matters. A ripple can become a wave.

Of course, no one has to share anything.
That’s the beauty of free speech. People get to share what lights them up, what fits their aesthetic, what they have energy for.

But it’s still worth saying:
A moment of kindness on the internet can change someone’s whole week.

And sometimes, small creators are just out here hoping for a spark.
Not begging. Just hoping.

🌱 What If We Reimagined the Game?

What if we stopped pretending we don’t care?

What if we admitted we all carry a little hope in our posts?

What if we used our platforms, whatever size they are, to lift someone else now and then?
To say “I see you,” not just with a heart icon, but with a signal boost.

And what if we also gave grace when others don’t?

Because kindness is sacred.
Freedom is sacred.
And small creators? We’re still here, still posting, still trying.

So follow who you want.
Share what you love.
But maybe, just maybe, tap someone on the shoulder this week and whisper:
“Hey, I see you.”

You never know who’s holding their breath, waiting.