Cult or Community? Rethinking the Creator-Follower Relationship

Social media has blurred a lot of lines: between personal and professional, content and connection, audience and engagement. But one line we can no longer afford to blur is this:

Are we building communities—or unintentionally running cults?

It’s a question that many content creators and digital leaders would benefit from sitting with. Because in a time when connection is currency, there’s a fine line between cultivating loyalty and controlling your audience. Between creating space for conversation and only tolerating agreement. Between inspiring people—and centering yourself.

What Are You Really Building?

If you’re a creator, thought leader, or entrepreneur, you likely started your journey with the intention to serve. To build something meaningful. Maybe even to lead a movement. But when your audience starts engaging in ways you didn’t script—when they ask questions, offer feedback, or speak with familiarity—how do you respond?

Because that response says everything.

When content becomes so tightly controlled that only certain types of engagement are welcomed, we have to ask: is this a healthy community, or has it become a curated echo chamber?

Let’s take a look.

Cult tendencies only tolerates positive feedback while community practices welcome constructive dialogue. Cults expect followers to stay in supporter mode and community followers are seen as whole people with perspectives. In a cult, questions feel like challenges while a community welcomes questions because they lead to opportunities for growth.

These differences may seem subtle, but over time, they completely shift the culture you’re creating around your brand.

The Parasocial Wake-Up Call

Recently, I’ve been reflecting on how easy it is to mistake parasocial familiarity for community. As a long-time observer and participant in digital spaces, I now see how quickly mutual respect can get replaced with invisible rules—rules that say, “You’re here to support, not to connect.”

It made me reconsider the entire ecosystem: who’s leading with real intention, and who’s simply leveraging attention.

And more importantly: how do I want to show up differently?

What I’m Choosing to Build

As someone with a background in strategy and a heart for meaningful transformation, I no longer want to play into platforms that reward outrage or require oversharing to stay visible. I’m choosing to build a digital space rooted in clarity, depth, and mutual growth.

That’s why I’m shifting my focus to spaces that prioritize intention over immediacy and allow content to breathe, grow, and truly serve.

My work is centered on helping women rebrand their lives from the inside out—and that requires space for nuance, not just applause. It requires community.

A Thought for Fellow Creators

If you’re building something online, here’s a quiet reflection that might shift everything:

When people engage with you, do they feel like they’re walking into a conversation—or entering a hierarchy?

Your answer might be the key to deeper connection, greater longevity, and a more human-centered brand.