Anti-social

Hey There! You've found our anti social media policy. 

We've drafted this document to explain why we have decided to voluntarily give social media a miss. Yes, that's it, you heard right - we're not doing social media. We have grappled with this extensively - we have decided that social media can't co-exist with our values. The utmost important being "in-person". We believe that we should engage with our community face-to-face. We want to have conversations about how you are fueling for races and training. Want to hear about your recent GI (Gastro-Intestinal) blunder and laugh about it - not drop a "😂" in the comments. 

Why anti-social 

Social media has a few distinct characteristics that just doesn't sit right with us. 

1. Doom scrolling 

Social media: Instagram, facebook, youtube and TikTok have all created a shortform video content feature that perpetuates a behaviour that doesn't sit well with us. While I (Ross) certainly am not immune to the odd doom-scroll rabbit hole, we want to encourage our community to get outside, not doomscroll. 

2. Algorithm

The Algorithm of many social media platforms is designed to keep users on the platform for as long as possible, again, we believe that this behaviour goes against our values and we don't want to perpetuate it. 

3. Audience ownership

While we know we don't "own" our audience, we certainly have no control over what our community sees when social media algorithms get to choose who sees our posts. Rather we want to engage with the community in form-factors that we own such as our email list, in-person event activation etc. 

4. Performative engagement

Likes, shares, comments and follower counts turn interaction into performance. The system rewards being seen, not being understood. It encourages “look at me” behaviour rather than honest conversation.

That’s not how we want to engage with our community. We don’t want you to feel like you need to comment something clever or hit a heart emoji to be part of Macgrif. We’d rather have a real conversation - about what worked, what didn’t, and why your stomach fell apart at 30km. Those conversations don’t fit neatly into a comment thread.

5. Opaque systems

Another challenge with social media is that the rules aren’t clear. Algorithms change. Reach fluctuates. Accounts get throttled, restricted, or removed - sometimes without explanation, even when you’re following the rules.

That lack of transparency doesn’t sit well with us. We believe good relationships are built on clarity and trust, not mystery systems deciding who gets to see what.

What we believe instead

We believe in showing up in person. You’ll find us at races, at trail events, standing behind a table, chatting to runners, answering questions, handing out samples, and learning just as much as we’re sharing.

We believe in direct communication. If you want to talk to us, you can email us, phone us, or use live chat on the site. When you reach out, you’re talking to a real person - not a social media manager, not an algorithm, and not a comment section.

We believe in long-form, thoughtful communication. Endurance nutrition is nuanced. Fueling isn’t one-size-fits-all. It takes explanation, context, and sometimes a bit of trial and error. That kind of conversation doesn’t work well in 15-second clips or caption character limits.

What this means in practice

  • It means you won’t find Macgrif in your feed every day.
  • It means we won’t be chasing likes or trends.
  • It means we won’t be sliding into your DMs or asking you to “engage”.

But it also means that when you do interact with us, it’s intentional. It’s on platforms we control. It’s transparent. And it’s built around actually helping you fuel better.

This isn’t a rejection of technology, and it’s certainly not a judgement on anyone who enjoys social media. It’s simply a choice - one that aligns better with our values, our time, and the kind of community we want to build.

- Ross