Eric Kim argues that mainstream social networks (Instagram, Facebook, etc.) are fundamentally at odds with artistic and personal goals. He makes both practical and philosophical points. For example, he notes that Instagram is essentially an advertising business – the platform’s design is to generate ad revenue, not to help artists. As he bluntly states: “Let’s not be fooled. The ultimate point of Instagram isn’t to promote your work as an artist. It is to make money off advertising. They essentially make money off you.” . In this model, even if you build a following, you earn nothing. Worse, he warns, you have “no equity” in that platform – if Facebook/Instagram changes the rules, they can delete your account and “all that work you put in will vanish” . In short, you are a digital sharecropper, laboring on someone else’s “quick sand” rather than owning your own gallery .
- Advertising and Ownership: Kim emphasizes that platforms profit from users’ attention. Photographers contribute content and engagement, but receive no share of profits; as Kim puts it, in the Instagram ad-machine “you didn’t earn a single penny” . By contrast, all the exposure and effort go to Facebook’s bottom line. Crucially, Kim notes you do not own your profile or content. He warns that if the platform deletes your account, “all that work…will magically vanish” . Thus, he urges creators to build on their own platforms (blogs/websites) where they retain full control .
- Closed Ecosystem: Kim is “anti Instagram and Facebook, because it is a closed system” . These sites require user accounts and lock content behind logins. Any photo you post “cannot be crawled by Google” and won’t appear in internet search . In effect, your work is hidden from the wider web – you become a “prisoner” of their walled garden . He also bemoans the lack of freedom: as of 2017 “there is no way you can ‘mass export’ all of your images” . In Kim’s view, social apps trap your memories and portfolio on their servers, instead of letting you archive or repurpose them.
- Creative and Content Limits: Kim argues that social feeds stifle genuine creativity. The single-image format of Instagram “favors the single ‘clickable’ image” , which he says kills long-form photo stories. He notes there’s “little poetry in a single image”, lamenting that classics like Odyssey or Harry Potter couldn’t be told in one panel . Moreover, the like-driven algorithm subtly “encourages us to betray our inner artistic vision” . In practice, this means photographers tend to post safe, boring images (sunsets, pets, food, etc.) that will get likes, while avoiding challenging or controversial subjects. Kim calls this a “repression of creativity”: social media rewards banal content and discourages anything that might “offend” viewers .
- Psychological and Emotional Impact: A major thread in Kim’s criticism is how social platforms warp self-perception. He highlights the dopamine loop of likes: “When you upload a photo and you get likes, you get a hit of dopamine… Instagram is more addictive than crack cocaine.” . Users anchor their happiness to arbitrary like-counts , so they constantly crave more (as Kim experienced himself, jumping from 100 likes to 2,000 in pursuit of satisfaction ). He bluntly states Instagram “has totally fucked up the self-esteem of photographers and people.” . In other words, the platforms “crowd-source” your self-worth – making it depend on others’ approval . Kim notes that failing to get expected likes can leave users feeling “disappointed, sad, or a bit shitty” .
- Social Comparison: This ties into constant comparison with others. Kim warns that on social media “we are always comparing our like and follower count with others.” . Since someone will almost always have more followers, this breeds envy and anxiety. He points out even very successful people get depressed by these metrics. Kim stresses that a larger following does not equal greater artistic value – it often reflects marketing effort or even paid boosts, not talent . In sum, chasing likes creates a toxic competition that undermines genuine self-worth.
- Philosophical Approach – Focus on Self: Underlying Kim’s critique is a philosophical stance: art should serve the creator, not external metrics. He urges photographers to create for themselves first. For example, he advises: “Focus on making photos that impress you — you have 100% control over this.” . He rejects any “duty” to please followers , emphasizing internal standards over social feedback. After quitting Instagram, he reports feeling a “Zen-like sense of calm” and being “MORE motivated” in his photography . By removing the constant need for approval, he found he only cared about his own judgment of his work .
- Alternatives – Own Your Platform: Practically, Kim encourages building independent platforms. He suggests using a personal blog or website (e.g. WordPress) so that your photos and essays are your own. He reasons that time spent on social media could instead grow an asset you control. “Why am I wasting all this time…on social media – when I should put more effort into my blog?” , he asks. By contrast, his own blog has brought him far more engagement (and income) than his old social accounts . In interviews he explicitly warns not to “build your empire on quicksand” like Instagram and become a “digital share-cropper” on Facebook’s land .
- Self-Care and Perspective: Kim also frames social media use in terms of life balance. He notes we have a free choice to use these apps. “Nobody is forcing you to use Instagram,” he says . If it causes stress, he advises deleting the app or taking a break (a sort of “detox” ). For him personally, quitting brought tangible benefits: improved self-esteem, less jealousy of others, and a renewed creativity in how he shares work .
In summary, Eric Kim’s main objections to social media are practical and philosophical. He argues platforms are designed for corporate profit at the expense of the user’s ownership, creativity and well-being. They trap content in closed systems and push creators toward vanity metrics (likes/follows) that damage self-esteem. Instead, Kim champions creative independence: making art that satisfies oneself, and publishing it on one’s own terms (personal blogs, books, etc.) rather than on rented social feeds. As he puts it, he is not claiming all social media is evil, only that it doesn’t align with his values – “I’m not telling you that Instagram is evil… I choose NOT to use Instagram” . His stance is that individual artists can thrive better by freeing themselves from these platforms’ incentives and controls.
Sources: Kim’s own writings and interviews, including his blog posts “Why I am Anti-Instagram” and “Why I Am Happier After Deleting My Instagram” , as well as related Q&A and philosophy posts , form the basis of these points. Each quote above is drawn from his published blog content as cited.