The Cost of Viral: Why Authenticity Matters More Than Ever

Ever notice how a lot of creators on your feed feel… like zombies? Shuffling along, eyes glazed, moving in perfect step with one another, endlessly chasing one thing: attention. Engagement. Money. Human flesh, but make it digital.

They all look the same, talk the same, perform the same. The hashtags change, the captions rotate, the trends mutate—but the core? Hollow. Irrelevant to what really matters. And us? We scroll. We doomscroll. We feed them with every tap and swipe, forgetting the world beyond the screen.

Yet amidst the sameness, there are rare sparks: creators who aren’t on the trending train because they’re too busy being real. They’re making work that’s raw, honest, and uniquely theirs—not following formulas for virality but creating from a genuine place.

As a photographer and a creator, that’s what I aim for: authenticity. And it’s why supporting these voices matters more than ever. The viral posts are loud, fast, and shiny, but they’re often empty. The authentic voices—the ones reflecting real thoughts, struggles, joy, and creativity—are quieter, harder to find, but infinitely more meaningful.

Step off the autopilot scroll. Follow voices that make you think, create, and feel. Life isn’t formulas and filters—it’s originality and authentic purpose. Start feeding your brain more than viral trends, and force the algorithm to spotlight real life.