Will Everyone Just Calm The Fuck Down (About Medium)?
Medium is NOT dying—But YOU might be killing it!
The great Medium exodus (AKA: People losing their shit)
So, everyone’s losing their collective minds about Medium.
Again.
The doom prophets are out in full force, wailing about how it’s all over.
The platform is dead, and we should all pack up our laptops and head for the digital hills.
And I get it.
Medium’s not perfect.
It has its quirks, its glitches, its mysterious algorithm changes that make you feel like you’re in a toxic relationship.
One day it loves you, the next it’s ghosting you.
But let’s not pretend this is the first time people have lost faith.
This is just another cycle in the grand tradition of “PANIC! ABANDON SHIP! OH WAIT… NEVER MIND”. <grovel> <snivel> <tail between legs>
The self-fulfilling doom spiral
Here’s the thing about mass hysteria—it creates the very problem it’s complaining about.
It’s like a bunch of passengers on a slightly leaky boat deciding that the best course of action is to punch more holes in the hull and then scream about how it’s sinking.
People are panic-leaving Medium like day traders watching a dip in stock prices, clutching their pearls as they dramatically sell off everything at a loss.
“Oh no, my Medium stock is down!”
Mate, you’re the one causing the dip.
Platforms evolve.
They change.
Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.
But jumping ship at the first sign of trouble guarantees that the thing you’re afraid of actually happens.
While you’re moaning, others are making bank
Take my man,
—he’s not sat there sulking, shaking his fist at Medium like it personally insulted his nan.And guess what?
Medium doesn’t give a flying shit who Derek Hughes is (sorry, Derek).
No special treatment.
No secret handshake.
Just another writer on the platform.
But Derek is absolutely KILLING it on Medium right now.
In an article he posted the other day, If Medium IS Dead, Why Have My Earnings Doubled?, he straight-up proved that his income has actually doubled since Medium’s recent algorithm changes and its crackdown on AI sludge and bot accounts.
That’s right—while everyone else is RAGE-QUITTING: kicking over their laptops, and declaring Medium dead, Derek is over there, quietly making more money than ever.
The lesson?
Maybe, just maybe, the problem isn’t Medium—it’s how people are reacting to it.
Stop expecting Medium to be your sugar daddy
A big reason people are panicking is the whole “Medium doesn’t care about writers” complaint.
And look, I hear you.
Writers make the platform what it is, and it would be nice if Medium occasionally showed its appreciation by, I don’t know, buying us all a drink first, before fucking us up the virtual ass.
But here’s the reality: Medium is a business.
It exists to make money.
If you expect it to lovingly cradle you in its arms, like some benevolent literary sugar daddy, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.
Instead of whining that Medium isn’t spoon-feeding you success, adapt.
Find ways to make it work for you.
Use multiple platforms.
Diversify. (Yes, I’m telling you to diversify like a personal finance bro, but it applies.)
Medium should be one tool in your writing arsenal, not the whole toolbox.
The "Oh shit, we were wrong" boomerang effect
Here’s my prediction: A lot of the people currently rage-quitting will be back.
They always come back.
Remember when everyone bailed on Twitter because… Elon?
Where did they all end up?
Oh, that’s right—back on Twitter (never “X” BTDubs), because no one actually wanted to read Aunt Susan’s rants on Threads.
People will realise that Medium is still one of the best places for writers to get discovered, connect with an audience, and—yes—make money.
The ones who stayed will be better positioned when the tides shift again.
So, what’s the move?
Stay the course.
Adapt.
Stop whining.
And for the love of caffeinated dogs, can we please quit acting like this is the end of the world?
Think Medium is dying? Think again.
If you’re the type to jump ship at the first sign of trouble, maybe you should subscribe to the (UN)BROKEN—because, unlike some people, I’m not bailing.
I’ll be here, serving up sarcastic, sanity-saving, straight-talking wisdom while the doomsday crowd eats their words.
You in?
Click subscribe before you come crawling back to Medium, begging for a lifeboat.
Why do I care. This is Substack !