#Hashtags - Surviving the algorithm

It starts innocently enough. You post a picture of your cat doing something vaguely daft. You add a witty caption (or so you think), throw in a few hashtags - #Caturday, #FurBaby, #WhiskersOfInstagram - and hit “Share”. You wait. Nothing. Not even a pity-like from your mum. The algorithm, once again, has ghosted you.

Welcome to the emotional labyrinth of modern content-sharing. Where hashtags promise visibility, the algorithm crushes dreams, and social media makes us feel like we’re screaming into a very aesthetic void.

The Hashtag Hustle

Let’s talk hashtags. Once a nifty little filing system for posts, they’ve now become a kind of digital incantation. If you just say the right combination - #grateful, #bossbabe, #sunsetvibes - you might summon engagement. Or at least a like from someone in Florida who sells essential oils.

There’s a certain desperation to it, isn’t there? Hashtags for reach, hashtags for relevance, hashtags for sheer survival. They’re like those “Open Me!” signs on gift cards in shops—you know they’re mass-produced, but you still fall for them.

The Hopeless Scroll

Then comes the slump. You start questioning everything. Why did a video of a chicken in sunglasses get 2 million views when your heartfelt post about local business support got six likes and one of those was from your dog’s groomer?

You refresh. Nothing changes. The algorithm, that mysterious beast, has decided your content isn’t worthy. And so, you spiral. You consider quitting social media. You wonder if you should start every post with “Wait for it…” and include royalty-free ukulele music.

This is the hopelessness phase. Every creator, brand, small business owner and meme-loving millennial knows it. It’s the bit where you consider becoming a lighthouse keeper.

But Then - Success

And just when you're ready to pack it all in, it happens. One post takes off. A comment from someone who actually read what you wrote. A share from a complete stranger who says “this made my day”.

You remember why you started sharing in the first place. Not for the stats, but for the connection. The community. The random joy of someone laughing at your cat’s ridiculous antics or discovering your handmade jam or agreeing that Mondays are, in fact, the worst.

You realise the algorithm doesn’t define you. It’s just a moody robot trying to guess what people like. Sometimes it gets it right. Sometimes it’s a bin fire. Either way, your voice matters. Even when it’s buried under a sea of smoothie bowls and people doing backflips for no reason.

So, What Now?

Keep posting. Keep writing. Use the hashtags (but don’t sell your soul to them). Let the hopeless moments pass, and hang onto the hopeful ones. Talk like a human, not a marketing robot. And never underestimate the power of a well-placed gif or a brilliantly bad pun.

Because behind every algorithm, there are people. Real ones. And they’re just as tired of being ignored by it as you are.