Spot on—it is a choice, but let’s look at what’s actually driving it!
Following thousands of creators isn't just random scrolling: it's pure prospecting. In 2026, when traditional distribution channels are completely saturated, how else do you get eyes on your work? It’s a reciprocal pact: I check out your stuff, you check out mine. Nobody is really making money out of this anyway—less than 1% of independent creators actually turn a profit, and most of the self-publishing wave is powered by passion, not paychecks. We’re trading attention, not currency.
Honestly, it feels like gold panning. I spend an hour a day swirling the sieve in the mud, shifting through 95% noise, just for that 5% hit of pure, brilliant storyverse nuggets.
Is there a bit of a serotonin addiction to it? Absolutely. It's the gambler's thrill, the hopes of the martingale cycle: just one more swipe, one more hidden gem. And that exact tension between survival-prospecting and narrative addiction is what we're dissecting at the Transmedia Jam #1.