JA Westenberg

I’m not trying to go viral.

I’m trying to be useful.

To someone.

Somewhere.

That’s enough.
https://www.joanwestenberg.com/notes-from-the-exit-why-i-left-the-attention-economy/

Notes from the Exit: Why I Left the Attention Economy

I didn’t leave the attention economy because I hated it. I left because I understood it, because once you see the system for what it is—a parasitic loop that rewards noise over nuance, metrics over meaning, reaction over reflection—you have two choices. Keep optimizing for reach, or

Westenberg.
Apr 21, 2025 at 2:56amPubler
Show threadLAURENApr 21, 2025

@Daojoan

yes.

Show threadIker GarcíaApr 21, 2025
@Daojoan "It’s not burnout exactly. It’s misalignment." This resonated loudly with me. Thank you. The article put words to my feelings.
Show threadEoin O'BearaApr 21, 2025
@Daojoan I had an account on IG where I posted about hiking and wilderness first aid. I noticed that some posts were getting more 'likes' than others and realised I was subconsciously tailoring my new posts to align with the 'likes'.
Once I realised that I deleted my account and never went back.
Show threadSteven from TaiwanApr 21, 2025
@Daojoan really love this post, it's in depth and truthful.
Show threadToni AittoniemiApr 21, 2025

@Daojoan A race to the bottom with a leaderboard indeed..

I’ve never been satisfied with posts that simply go viral. They seemed more like flukes, and to be honest it’s the haters comments that usually do it anyway.

What actually makes me happy is when some people have read a long essay I spent weeks writing, and had something enlightening to say about it in return.

👏👏👏

Show threadDerrial BookApr 21, 2025

@Daojoan While the intent is laudable, one thing is left unsaid: in order to "leave" the attention industry on your terms, one has to first to engage with it on its terms.

You haven't actually left (I assume, since I do not know who you are or what you do, I base my assumptions solely on your essay). You are still a creator. You still rely on audience. You haven't switched your career to, for example, highway construction.

1/2

Show threadDerrial BookApr 21, 2025

@Daojoan What would be your advice to those who would like to enter the industry and write slower, longer, weirder, truer? I am asking specifically in the context of monetization.

2/2

Show threadarabiccolaApr 21, 2025
@Daojoan Your article is behind a paywall that prevents actual engagement and interaction, which seems a little puzzling considering the fact that your writing advocates for actually soliciting interaction from a smaller audience.
Show threadzahmalikApr 21, 2025
@Daojoan wow this was a nice read tbh because i resonate so much with what’s going on, i had to leave other platforms and somehow stumbled on this, everything feels like a race out there I’m glad I’m here and I’m sure i will see more like minds
Show threadDoctor BrewApr 21, 2025

@Daojoan

This is the part that "resonated" with me: "I just started building a system that didn’t require me to sell my thoughts for spare change. I switched from social performance to sovereign publishing. I traded growth hacks for depth. I started writing slower. Longer. Weirder. Truer."

I did the same a few years ago. I write little blog posts & books for very few readers. The publishing platform I use is hosted by someone who lives 60 miles from me & who I've spoken to. I wanted to make sure I wasn't posting my writing on a platform that enriched the overlords.

Yesterday, I revised a blog post (for inclusion in a book) I wrote in 2021 about just the topic you write about in "Notes from the Exit". My approach is to find "my writer" and be an attentive & talented reader. Similar to what you say, I figure that if we actually do the harder work of listening and understanding each other, we'll shape the world so what we are living through now won't be able to happen in the future.