Verite isn't alone in her uneasy feelings about the platforms that mediate—and effectively own—the relationship between her and her fans. Many artists find themselves torn between pleasing algorithms and staying true to their work. Platforms that once promised to remove the middlemen and create more direct, authentic connections between artists and their audiences are now gatekeepers themselves.

We know we’re trapped. But strangely we’re also in love with our captors. As long as we stream, like, binge, lol and troll online, there’s a platform that feeds on our attention, algorithmically dissecting our habits to determine the type of content created on the other side of this infinite loop. If you don’t post, someone else will take your place in our global social arena where few make it to the top whilst the rest burn out. This is how the attention economy works. If you’re not visible online, you don’t exist. We keep on posting so we're not forgotten.

NOTE THAT THIS IS AN EXCERPT