Digital Elitism & How To Conquer It

Free 14-Day Anti Elitism Creativity Challenge Inside!

My Digital Elitism Era 🪩

This newsletter like everything I create, is inspired by my real life. I first realized I suffered from digital elitism at the top of this year, and it just grew and grew. I’ve always been one of those creatives who created content and “talked to the camera”. (Remember when doing that was rare?)

I felt like expressing myself this way was subconsciously reserved for people who just like me, had extremely cerebral perspectives on the world. Once tik tok happened, talking to the camera became something that everyone did, and as a result of that, I felt like I no longer had a place in the content creation world. It became harder and harder for me to stand out as a creator.

This may sound dramatic, but blending in is a pet peeve of mine, and is also one of the reasons I even have a newsletter in the first place. I decided to re-invent myself as a creator around February by putting out marketing campaigns for my e-books. I’m not going to lie, it was a nice little bandaid for the time being. It forced me to evolve, solidified me as a thought leader within my space, provided my audience with value, and satisfied me financially. I ran the same formula back again in June, but afterwards I felt so drained. Being innovative 24/7 is exhausting. And as a result I started being less active on social.

I eventually took a break from social media to do some reflecting in order to figure out the real reason why I stopped creating content. That reflection period birthed the concept of digital elitism which I believe so many creatives have right now, but are unsure how to Identify it, yet alone conquer it.

---

What Is Digital Elitism? 💭

Digital elitism is a philosophy rooted in the belief that certain online activities, platforms, or forms of expression are reserved for a select or privileged few. It explains the reason why once things become mainstream, the “digital elite” retreat and stop participating in them. It's an unspoken hierarchy that is tethered to gatekeeping, often with no tangible status rooted in value to validate its authority.

If you voted yes, don’t feel ashamed. Elitism isn’t bad per se. As a matter of fact, humans by nature are psychologically driven by status because we enjoy feeling special. In the customer service world, the concept of elitism is very prevalent, and is what Consumer Luxury Companies like American Express, Delta, and Starbucks have perfected in order to retain customers and stay on top. They've mastered the art of turning elitism into a game that has no final boss to beat. The rules are simple, the more points you get, the more you get rewarded.

The world of creativity is a little different though. We don’t have companies like Delta or Starbucks to track our “points”. We have social media apps like Instagram that track things such as likes, comments, shares, etc. Becoming a DIAMOND member of Delta is earned. There’s no other way of getting that status without traveling, a lot. Social media on the other hand doesn’t work the same way. You can buy followers, purchase ads, and a lot more to “obtain” a certain status. The “Diamond” equivalent of Instagram is was the verified Check, and you can obtain it by :

1. submitting an application

2. purchasing it

3. asking someone to push your name through

4. have your manager, boss, etc to do it for you

Knowing the dark side of elitism combined with digital claustrophobia, aka feeling like spaces are too crowded, is enough to make you bow out from the internet all together as a creative. Especially when expressing yourself is based on things that feel genuine and authentic to you.

What Causes Digital Elitism? 💭

The tendency for some creatives to stop engaging with or liking something when it becomes popular or widely adopted can be attributed to several psychological and social factors:

• Reactance Theory: This psychological theory suggests that people, especially creatives have a tendency to resist being persuaded or controlled. When something becomes overly popular, individuals might feel like they're being "pushed" to like it, leading to a subconscious resistance and decreased interest.

• Fear of Dilution: Popularity can sometimes lead to dilution of the original essence of something. Certain creatives might fear that as more people join in, the experience could be watered down or altered to cater to a broader audience, diminishing its appeal.

• Cultural Rebellion: Since a lot of creatives pride themselves on being rebellious with their work, they naturally have a counter-cultural mindset, where they actively reject mainstream trends as a form of protest against societal norms and consumerism.

• Perceived Exclusivity: When something becomes widely popular, it might lose its perceived exclusivity. Some people enjoy feeling like they're part of a select group that appreciates something unique, and when that uniqueness diminishes due to popularity, they might lose interest.

• Anti-Conformity: Some individuals have a natural inclination to resist conforming to popular trends. They might perceive popular activities or interests as "mainstream" and may deliberately distance themselves to maintain a sense of uniqueness or individuality.

• Desire for Authenticity: Creatives often value authenticity and originality. When something gains mass appeal, it might be perceived as losing its genuine or original qualities, leading some individuals to seek out lesser-known or more niche alternatives.

The purpose of this newsletter is to tell you (and myself) that the world needs your authenticity, no matter the landscape or how many people are just like you. As a matter of fact, when things get too overcrowded and elitist, that’s when your authentic art is needed the most. So let’s dive into some strategies to help you over come the feeling of digital elitism so you can get back to expressing yourself again!

How do you overcome Digital Elitism? 💭

1. Use trends as Inspo, not repellent.

If you are someone who abstains from expressing yourself due to your style of creating seeming too popular, try embracing the popular trends but by infusing it with your creative identity to redefine the landscape.

Example : Say you’re a fashion content creator, but the thought of doing a GRWM makes you cringe because everyone is doing. Tack a layer on to the trend by adding in something that’s unique to you. Maybe you love music. Create outfits that are inspired by certain songs or music you’re currently listening to. This is a great way to carve out your own lane within a trend, while simultaneously expressing yourself in a genuine way.

@sierrarenas is one of my favorite fashion influencers <3

2. Consume Diverse Content

If you are numb to the content that you’re seeing and you find it hard to get inspired, try following people that appeal to all of your different interests. (This is one of my favorite creative practices and the reason why I follow damn near 2,000 people)

Here’s a few of my favorite follows right now :

• because I love food and butter, I follow : Thomas Straker - cook and butter guru

• because I love fly sh*t, I follow : Lori Hirshleifer - fashion queen and buyer

• because I love taking photos and need help with posing, I follow : David Suh - Self Confidence Generator aka Photographer

3. Redefine Exclusivity

Challenge the notion that exclusivity is solely tied to obscurity. Find exclusivity in your own interpretation and interaction with a trend, rather than relying on its rarity to be a determining factor of whether or not you will participate. Additionally, shift the focus from originality to personal connection. Know that authenticity is not solely determined by being the first but by the depth of one’s engagement and value.

Example : I did this with my e-books. I felt like e-books were over saturated so when I put mine out, I felt the need to go all out with the content I created.

4. Create / Participate in a Creativity Challenge

Challenges have a way of making you infuse your personal experiences into your creations. This authenticity not only humanizes your work but also implies that each voice is distinct. Authenticity serves as a powerful antidote to fight elitism's attempt to homogenize expression.

I’ve created a 14 day-creativity challenge with the intent to overcome digital elitism for myself, but I want you to join me! You can access the challenge via Canva , or Download it as a PDF.

Don’t forget to tag me @donyetaylor & @readtwimc in your challenge posts so the community can cheer you on & repost your content! Talk to you all soon.