Why I’m Not On Clubhouse
Not a day that goes by where Clubhouse isn’t mentioned on my feed or in my stories.
I’ve seen lots of people raving about it, jumping on in and hosting rooms and chats and heaps of valuable conversations seem to be happening.
But I’m not on it. And have zero desire to be either. I thought I’d share my reasons why in case you’re weighing up dipping your toe into this new auditory world.
FYI this isn’t to dissuade anyone; it’s totally your choice about the platforms you use and what works for your business. I’m just providing my POV.
It has MAJOR accessibility issues.
This is my biggest bugbear. It’s completely inaccessible to people who are deaf or have a hearing impairment as it does not support live captioning.
I find this quite interesting considering Clubhouse’s third Principle in their Community Guidelines is:
Be inclusive. Tolerate, welcome and consider diverse people and perspectives.
So diversity is welcome, but not really. Gotcha.
What bothers me the most is this app comes directly from the Silicon Valley Gods. Yet, they weren’t smart enough (read: didn’t care enough) to add support mechanisms that promote the inclusivity they profess to be guided by. I know it’s in beta, but honestly, that doesn’t cut it. They didn't build this app on a shoestring in their mum’s basement.
2. ‘Exclusivity’
I get it. It was probably, maybe, intended to be a marketing ploy. But when do exclusivity and inclusivity ever go hand in hand? They are literal opposites. It’s hard not to think that ‘Irony’ is one of Clubhouse’s brand values.
Exclusivity reeks of rankism. The fact it’s ‘invitation only’ was enough to turn me off. I’m also not sure how exclusive it is when people I follow on IG are offering up invites daily to anyone who wants them.
I got an email from @talkingshrimpnyc the other day describing how she can’t scroll through Clubhouse without seeing half a dozen rooms with the word ‘Millionaire’ in the title. Who doesn’t want to be a millionaire? Or hear a millionaire speak? Or be in a room with one? Urgh.
I’m sure some rooms contain good people with helpful messages to share, but still, it’s a hard pass from me.
3. Everyone’s an expert
Don’t we already have enough platforms for people to showcase their expertise? I can’t help but feel it would be those who are already famous or well-known that are attracting big audiences? Perhaps I’m wrong?
No doubt you’d be able to make connections with peers, but if you’re looking for new clients, I’m not sure this will be the most effective way of finding them. This post from Matt Hall provides some interesting insights into this too.
4. Content overwhelm
A good friend of mine, who happens to be an early adopter (which, in case you haven’t guessed, I am not), got onto Clubhouse straight away. A solid week later, she got severe audio overwhelm and had to unplug.
Clubhouse says you can listen in while doing other things like working, hobbying or going for an evening walk. Why thanks, I’m always looking for opportunities to do more with my time and multi-task.
Should you support Clubhouse or not?
That’s absolutely your decision, and I’m not here to judge you. All platforms have their pros and cons. No person or brand is perfect.
I just encourage you to think about the reasons you’re on Clubhouse. Is it to become more visible? Learn from others? Get more clients? Once you know, it’s easier to work out whether Clubhouse is the best platform for you.
Lately, I've been trying to become really conscious of the content I consume. And where I’m focusing my energy, because it’s precious! And yours is too.
Here’s where I’m getting my kicks
Connecting with my existing community on IG.
Nurturing the beautiful people on my email list.
Reading/listening to books.
Listening to podcasts.
Having exploratory DMs with interesting people.
Working on my brand to understand my values, purpose and mission.
Maybe I’m making a huge mistake and am missing out. But I’m all about going with my gut, and on this occasion, my gut says no.
I’d LOVE to hear your opinion on Clubhouse. If you’re on it, what do you think about it? If you’re not, are you considering giving it a go?
For more reading, check out this article on Forbes from Steven Aquino: https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevenaquino/2021/02/08/clubhouse-is-a-club-so-exclusive-it-excludes-disabled-people-by-design/?sh=3044a4716008
Photo by Daniel Herron on Unsplash