“This post is taking part in the Farcaster 2026 writing contest” Social media hasn’t always been soulless. Before everything turned into an engagement casino, there were very human elements to the major platforms of the day. MySpace let you code your social page, Facebook was fun, Twitter had a town square vibe to it, and Instagram was reserved for the aesthetes. Unfortunately, growth-at-all-costs mindsets poisoned these platforms, and they ultimately succumbed to the allure of mainstream app.

“This post is taking part in the Farcaster 2026 writing contest” Social media hasn’t always been soulless. Before everything turned into an engagement casino, there were very human elements to the major platforms of the day. MySpace let you code your social page, Facebook was fun, Twitter had a town square vibe to it, and Instagram was reserved for the aesthetes. Unfortunately, growth-at-all-costs mindsets poisoned these platforms, and they ultimately succumbed to the allure of mainstream app.