Have you ever found yourself scrolling through social media and wondering why everyone seems so angry? The comment sections are battlegrounds, and the most shared videos often feature someone shouting, complaining, or sparking outrage. It turns out this isn't just your imagination. It’s a feature, not a bug, of the current social media landscape. And according to one of the internet's most recognizable creators, it’s pushing content creation to a dangerous extreme.
Nuseir Yassin, better known to millions as Nas Daily, built his career on positivity. His iconic one minute videos celebrated interesting people and places from around the world, ending with his signature tagline, “That’s one minute, see you tomorrow!” But the internet has changed since he started, and he’s seen firsthand how the rules of the game have shifted. In a recent conversation, Yassin explained how social media platforms are actively rewarding extreme and controversial content, forcing creators into a difficult corner.
The core of the problem lies with the algorithms that run platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Their primary goal is simple: keep you on the platform for as long as possible. And what keeps people glued to their screens? Strong emotions. Unfortunately, anger and outrage are some of the most powerful emotions for engagement. It's the digital version of the old news motto, “if it bleeds, it leads.”
Yassin points out that the system is biased towards negativity. A video that calmly explains a nuanced topic might get a few thousand views. A video that screams about the same topic, calls people out, and frames it as a crisis could get millions. The algorithm doesn't care about the quality or truth of the content. It only cares about the reaction. Clicks, comments, shares, and watch time are its currency.
“The incentives are very clear. If I want to maximize my views, I should make my content more extreme. That is a fact of life on social media.”
This creates a feedback loop. Platforms reward controversial content with more visibility, which encourages creators to produce more of it. Viewers are then fed a steady diet of this content, which can warp their perception of reality and normalize extreme viewpoints. Yassin notes that figures who thrive on controversy often dominate the conversation simply because the system is built to amplify them.
This puts creators in a bind. Do they stick to their principles and create positive or educational content, knowing it might get buried by the algorithm? Or do they lean into the controversy to stay relevant and pay their bills? For many, the choice is a painful one. They are pressured to become louder, more opinionated, and more divisive just to survive.
Yassin himself has felt this pressure. While he remains committed to a positive message, he admits his own content style has evolved to be more direct and high energy to compete for attention. The gentle, upbeat tone of his early videos has been sharpened to cut through the noise. It’s a compromise many creators are forced to make.
The risk is that the person you see on screen is no longer the real person, but a character optimized for engagement. This can lead to burnout, mental health struggles, and a feeling of being trapped by the very audience you built.
So what's the solution? Yassin believes the answer isn't to fix the existing platforms, but to build new systems. This is where the world of web3 comes into play. Frustrated by the limitations of traditional social media, he has transitioned from being solely a content creator to an entrepreneur. He founded Nas.io, a platform designed to help creators build and manage their own communities, independent of the big social networks.
He sees technologies like crypto and NFTs not as get rich quick schemes, but as tools for building a more sustainable creator economy. He’s particularly interested in the idea of “creator coins” or social tokens. These are digital assets that a creator can issue to their community. Fans can buy, hold, or trade these tokens, giving them a real stake in the creator's success.
Imagine if your favorite artist or writer had their own coin. Holding it could grant you access to exclusive content, private chats, or even a say in future projects. This model changes the dynamic completely. Instead of creators being dependent on ad revenue from a platform that promotes outrage, they can build a direct financial relationship with their most loyal supporters.
Yassin’s vision is to escape what he calls “rented land.” On YouTube or Instagram, a creator doesn't truly own their audience. The platform controls the relationship, and a single algorithm change can destroy a creator's livelihood overnight. By using web3 tools and community platforms like Nas.io, creators can build on their “own land.” They have direct access to their audience through email and chats, and they control how they monetize their work.
This allows for a different kind of content to flourish. When a creator is funded directly by a dedicated community, they are no longer incentivized to create clickbait. Instead, they are rewarded for providing genuine value, fostering positive connections, and building something meaningful with their audience. The focus shifts from chasing viral moments to nurturing long term relationships.
While Yassin remains critical of the hype and scams that plague parts of the crypto space, he is optimistic about the underlying technology's potential to empower creators. He believes it can pave the way for a healthier, more authentic, and more sustainable digital world, one where creativity is rewarded over controversy.
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