My Biggest Social Media Mistake… and How I Fixed It
Not doing this again... until I inevitably do
2024 was, by far, my toughest year as an internet person.
The Drake vs. Kendrick beef dragged armies of angry fans into my life—my DMs, inboxes, replies—everywhere.
And it was utterly exhausting.
Some people thrive on this. They can farm negativity for fame and profit.
I am not one of those people.
But every time a strong opinion or joke popped into my head, I did what I always do—
I tweeted it.
But due to the extremely intense and polarised, fractured nature of this particular ‘battle’, those tweets went viral.
And the energy coming back to me? Vile, to be honest. I appreciate Twitter is not the best place for jokes. It treats context like a guy locked out of his flat: shouting “I live here!” while the neighbours call him a liar.
But it’s also a place where a hot take or a gag can go supersonic, especially if it’s about a polarising battle like this. See also: all politics.
And the more ‘likes’ under a post, the more it gains gravitas and momentum.
What starts as a chuckle inside my head gathers hatred up in its atmosphere like a whirling Katamari of toxicity. Every ‘like’ adds more gravity that was never really meant to be there.
Oh well. Play stupid games win stupid prizes and all that.
But as I said - I’m not build for that life. Some are. They can make a LOT of money. At what cost, though? Their soul?
The Rule That Changed Everything
So, I implemented a new rule, although I sometimes forget to stick to it.
But when I do, life is significantly better.
Here it is:
I put nothing out on social media unless it either:
✅ Makes me money
✅ Helps people with their lives or content creation
If it does both? Even better.
Why You Should Steal This Rule
It’s so simple.
And yet, every time I slip back into old habits, I instantly regret it. Because the internet is a machine that feeds on your attention.
If you’re not intentional about how you use it, it will use you.
So, use the platforms for good—for you, for your community, for the wider world.
And let everyone else argue amongst themselves.
At the risk of it all happening again: I’ll quote Mr. Lamar
I choose me.
See you out there.
JD x
PS: I’m building something for creators and creatives who feel this; who want to create, live, and work in a way that feels aligned, sustainable, and actually good.
The beta version is launching soon and it’ll be far cheaper than it ever will be in the future.
If that sounds like you, just reply to this email with the word RESET and I’ll let you know more. Or just reply and let me know.