The Algorithm of Envy: High Views, Zero Engagement

I am a writer, not a social media guru. My algorithm is basically a shrug and a "Bless your heart" effort. I have never been consistent enough to truly master the platform; my TikTok is nonexistent, and my IG reels are more "real" than "reel." But the numbers have always perplexed me. I would post a thought, a reflection, or a witty observation, and watch the metrics pop up: 1,200 views... 24 likes. The math was not mathing, Gems. It was like hosting a party where a thousand people showed up, drank your wine, and left without saying thank you or even waving goodbye.

I wanted to blame Mark Zuckerberg. I wanted to blame the changing platform, the lack of exposure, and the fickle nature of the digital hygiene. But when I looked closer, the same names, the same profiles I knew personally, the people I shared meals with, the ones I call friend, were consistently in the viewer list. They were consuming the content, clicking the stories, but offering zero support. Not a reaction, not a share, not even the low-effort digital equivalent of a high-five.

The lack of public support began to feel less like a platform glitch and more like a relational truth. It was a silent, draining confirmation that the people closest to you are often the ones watching you the most critically.

One morning, stewing over the latest post that had gone viral-ish with views but stone-cold silent with engagement, I took it to prayer. I needed God to confirm my assessment and confirm it wasn't an assumption. Now I don't know if it was the voice of God or my own confirming bias, but I heard this:

"People aren't visiting your pages to support you, they're checking to see if you've failed yet."

Whew. That realization shifted my perspective from anger to compassion, and then straight back to a healthy skepticism. The data didn't lie. High views, low interaction, that’s surveillance, not support. That’s an audience waiting for the blooper reel, not the victory lap. It was a harsh, necessary step in my healing journey to admit that the list of people I mislabel "friend" is significantly longer than the list of people who actually want to see me win.

Gems, I invite you to learn the difference between friends and followers. A follower watches your life for entertainment; a friend participates in your life and celebrates your small wins.

Stop measuring your self-worth by the public approval of people who consume your life in silence. If their support is absent in the easy, low-stakes digital space, imagine how absent they'll be when the real-life crisis hits. Guard your energy and your heart. Give your content, your story, your transparency, your wisdom to the people who are actually celebrating the fact that you’re still standing, still writing, and still winning.

Sometimes, the greatest detox is hitting the Unfollow button on the people you already know. Let them check to see if you’ve failed yet, but make sure they have to pay full price for the gossip. Your peace is worth more than their digital validation.

Continue to write your story, one healing page at a time... QP